Diplocynodon

Diplocynodon Temporal range: Paleocene–Middle Miocene PreЄ Є O S D C P T J K Pg N
File:Diplocynodon ratelii.JPG
Diplocynodon ratelii
Scientific classification
Unrecognized taxon (fix):	Diplocynodontinae
Genus:	†Diplocynodon Pomel, 1847
Species
†D. dalpiazi Del Favero, 1999 †D. darwini (Ludvig, 1877) †D. elavericus Martin, 2010 †D. gervaisi †D. hantoniensis (Wood, 1846) †D. muelleri (Kälin, 1936) †D. ratelii Pomel, 1847 (type) †D. tormis †D. ungeri (Prangner, 1845) ?†D. deponiae (Frey, Laemmert & Riess, 1987)
Synonyms
?Baryphracta Frey, Laemmert & Riess, 1987 Enneodon Pranger, 1845  ?Hispanochampsa Kälin, 1936 Saurocainus

Diplocynodon is an extinct genus of alligatoroid that lived during the Paleocene to middle Miocene 49 million years ago in Europe. It looked very similar to the modern caiman in that it was small and had bony armour scutes covering its neck, back, belly, and tail. The longest Diplocynodon recovered was 4 feet in length and probably fed on fish, animal flesh, and took insects when young.

In the nineteenth century, D. steineri was named from Styria, Austria and D. styriacus was named from Austria and France. A third Austrian species, Enneodon ungeri, was placed in its own genus. The Austrian and French species of Diplocynodon were synonymized with E. ungeri in 2011, and because the name Diplocynodon has priority over Enneodon, the species is now called D. ungeri.

Well preserved specimens have been found in the Messel Pit in Germany. In the Eocene epoch, the pit was a swampy freshwater lake that was perfect for preserving fossils due to anoxic conditions at its bottom.

Species

Species
Species	Age	Location	Unit	Notes	Images
D. dalpiazi	Late Rupelian	Italy	Monteviale		File:2011-07-09 gasometer 37.JPG D. darwini from Messel pit, Hesse, Germany, 48 million years old File:Skull of a Diplocynodon hantoniensis at the Natural History Museum, London 02.JPG Skull of D. hantoniensis File:Diplocynodon cf rateli.JPG Diplocynodon cf. ratelii
D. darwini	Lutetian	Germany	Messel pit	All specimens are from Messel pit of Germany. Synonyms are: D. ebertsi and D. hallense.
D. elavericus	Middle Priabonian	France	Domérat	All specimens came from Allier, Massif Central of France.
D. gervaisi	Earliest Rupelian	France	Ronzon	Synonyms are: Saurocainus gervaisi.
D. hantoniensis	Early Priabonian	United Kingdom	Headon Hill Formation	All specimens came from Hordwell, southern England. D. cf. hantoniensis is known from the Oligocene of Dordogne, France.
D. muelleri	Middle Rupelian	Spain	El Talladell	More than 100 are known, all from Lleida Province, Catalonia. Synonyms are: Hispanochampsa muelleri, D. guerini and D. marini.
D. ratelii	Middle Aquitanian* Late Eocene to Early Miocene	France	Saint-Gérand-le-Puy*	D. ratelii is the type species of Diplocynodon. Most of the specimens came from Allier, Massif Central of France. Synonyms are: D. gracile.
D. tormis	Late Bartonian	Spain	Salamanca
D. ungeri	Middle Miocene	Austria* France	Pannonian Basin* Paris Basin	Synonyms are: Enneodon ungeri, D. steineri, and D. styriacus (see text).

*Locality and/or horizon of the type specimen.

Phylogeny

Cladogram based on Martin, 2010:

Alligatoroidea	Leidyosuchus Globidonta Diplocynodontidae Baryphracta Diplocynodon D. darwini D. hantoniensis D. ratelii D. elavericus D. muelleri D. tormis

References

• Fossils (Smithsonian Handbooks) by David Ward (Page 243)

External links

• Discover
• Geo Science