Saltoposuchus
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Extinct (fossil)
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Saltoposuchus connectens (Huene 1921 = S. longipes) was a species of small (3-5 feet), long- tailed, reptile (crocodilian) of the Sphenosuchia, from the Norian (Upper Triassic) of Europe and North America. The name translated means "leaping crocodile". It has been proposed (Clark et al 2000) that Terrestrisuchus gracilis and Saltoposuchus connectens represent different growth stages of the same genus. In which case, the name Saltoposuchus would take precedence over Terrestrisuchus (1984). But this is by no means agreed upon in the palaeontological community.
The front arms were short and the hind legs were long. It was clearly a swift bipedal runner, though it was probably comfortable on all four feet as well. It possessed pointed teeth and a double row of bony scutes along its back. It was a meat eater, and probably competed with true dinosaurs like Podokesaurus.
It is not well-known, though it used to enjoy some fame and was commonly referred to in popular literature as close to the ancestor of the dinosaurs, if not the ancestor of the dinosaurs. Superficially, it does resemble a small theropod and indeed, a skull of Saltoposuchus was formerly attributed to the theropod Procompsognathus. Present scientific opinion however does not consider it a serious contender for grandpa of the dinosaurs. After all, the earliest dinosaurs, eg. Eoraptor, predate Saltoposuchus by at least 15 million years. Saltoposuchus was classified in the Thecodontia, but this group is no longer considered valid. In some popular literature Saltoposuchus is erroneously referred to as a dinosaur.
