This article records new taxa of every kind of fossil archosaur that were scheduled to be described during 2023, as well as other significant discoveries and events related to the paleontology of archosaurs that were published in 2023.
Pseudosuchians
New pseudosuchian taxa NameNoveltyStatusAuthorsAgeType localityCountryNotesImages Alligator munensisSp. novValidDarlim et al.Middle Pleistocene to HoloceneAn altirostral species of alligator closely related to the Chinese alligator.AntecrocodylusGen. et sp. novMartin et al.MioceneAn early diverging crocodile. The type species is A. chiangmuanensis.Aphaurosuchus kaijuSp. novMartins et al.Late CretaceousAdamantina FormationA baurusuchid.Baru iylwenpenySp. novYates, Ristevski, & SalisburyLate MioceneAlcoota Fossil BedsA member of the clade Mekosuchinae.Comahuesuchus bonaparteiSp. novValidKellner, Figueiredo & CalvoLate Cretaceous (Turonian to Coniacian)Portezuelo FormationDentaneosuchusGen. et comb. novMartin et al.Eocene (Bartonian)Sables du Castrais FormationA member of the family Sebecidae; a new genus for "Atacisaurus" crassiproratus Astre (1931).HuenesuchusGen. nov.DisputedKischlatMiddle Triassic (Ladinian)Santa Maria FormationA replacement name for Prestosuchus Huene 1938, considered to be a nomen nudum. McDavid (2025) considers this name to be a junior synonym of Prestosuchus.KryphioparmaGen. et sp. novReyes, Parker, & HeckertLate Triassic (Norian)Chinle Formation()An aetosaur. The type species is K. caerula.ScolotosuchusGen. et sp. novValidSennikovEarly TriassicLipovskaya Formation()A member of the family Rauisuchidae. The type species is S. basileus. Published online in 2023, but the issue date is listed as December 2022.Torvoneustes jurensisSp. novValidGirard et al.Late Jurassic
(Kimmeridgian)Reuchenette FormationTurnersuchusGen. et sp. novWilberg et al.Early Jurassic (Pliensbachian)Charmouth Mudstone FormationAn early diverging thalattosuchian.The type species is T. hingleyae.VenkatasuchusGen. et sp. novValidHaldar, Ray & BandyopadhyayLate Triassic (Norian to Rhaetian)Dharmaram FormationA typothoracine aetosaur. The type species is V. armatum.
General pseudosuchian research Evidence of the impact of the interplay of abiotic and biotic processes on the evolution of pseudosuchians is presented by Payne et al. (2023). A study on the biomechanical properties of the skull of Riojasuchus tenuisceps is published by Taborda, Von Baczko & Desojo (2023), who propose that R. tenuisceps could have had a wading habit, feeding on small-sizey prey caught from the shoreline. A study on the bone histology of Decuriasuchus quartacolonia is published by Farias et al. (2023), who interpret their findings as indicative of early ontogenetic stage of known specimens, which might have stayed in group to obtain food and avoid predation before reaching maturity, as well as opening the possibility that D. quartacolonia may represent an earlier growth stage of the larger Prestosuchus chiniquensis. A study on the bone histology of Fasolasuchus tenax and Prestosuchus chiniquensis, providing evidence of slower growth rate in the latter taxon, is published by Ponce et al. (2023). A study on the biomechanics of the skull of Saurosuchus galilei is published by Fawcett et al. (2023), who interpret Saurosuchus as having a weak bite for an animal of its size, possessing several mechanically weak features in the skull, and likely avoiding tooth–bone interactions while feeding. Redescription of the braincase of Saurosuchus galilei and a study of its sensorial capacities is published by von Baczko et al. (2023), who report evidence interpreted as indicative of an enhanced olfactory acuity. An osteoderm and tooth of a 'rauisuchian', likely a rauisuchid, are described from the lower Elliot Formation of South Africa, and identify two potential morphotypes of rauisuchid in the lower Elliot. Redescription of the anatomy of the skull of Shuvosaurus inexpectatus is published by Lehane (2023).
Aetosaur research A study on the humeral histology in specimens of Aetosaurus ferratus from the Kaltental site (Lower Stubensandstein, Germany) is published by Teschner et al. (2023), who interpret the studied specimens as juveniles, and interpret the accumulation of small-sized specimens at Kaltental as possible evidence of gregarious behavior in juveniles of A. ferratus. Parker, Reyes & Marsh (2023) describe a new specimen of Typothorax coccinarum from Petrified Forest National Park (Arizona, United States) that is the largest aetosaur specimen reported to date, and report that the studied individual likely had not yet reached skeletal maturity, indicating that body size may not be a reliable indicator of maturity in aetosaurs.
Crocodylomorph research A study on the bone histology of early crocodylomorphs is published by Botha et al. (2023), who interpret their findings as indicating that the transition from high growth rates of earlier-diverging pseudosuchians to slower rates of bone deposition during mid-late ontogeny happened around the origin of Crocodylomorpha during the Late Triassic. Revision of the fossil material of Saltoposuchus connectens is published by Spiekman (2023), who considers S. connectens to be a taxon distinct from Terrestrisuchus gracilis, and interprets the histology of the femur of the second-largest studied specimen as indicative of sustained high growth rates. Redescription of Terrestrisuchus gracilis is published by Spiekman et al. (2023), who report evidence indicative of extensive pneumatization of the posterior skull region, as well as probable anatomical adaptations to non-nocturnal, possibly cathemeral activity patterns. Evidence from the osteological correlates of the trigeminal nerve in extant and fossil taxa, interpreted as indicative of an increase in sensory abilities in Early Jurassic crocodylomorphs, preceding their transitions to a semiaquatic habitat, is presented by Lessner et al. (2023). A study on the relationship between osteoderm relative area of pits and terrestrial or aquatic lifestyle in extant and extinct crocodyliforms, indicating that taxa with lower the degree of ornamentation were more likely to be terrestrial, is published by de Araújo Sena & Cubo (2023). A study on palatal grooves of thalattosuchians is published by Young et al. (2023), who report that the studied grooves were continuous with ossified canals that connected the oral cavity to the nasal cavity, and interpret the studied grooves and canals as likely evidence of the existence of a heat exchange pathway linking the palatal vascular plexus to the vessels that supplied blood to the brain and eyes. A study on the growth patterns of Macrospondylus bollensis is published by Johnson, Amson & Maxwell (2023). Young et al. (2023) describe thalattosuchian fossil material from deposits in European Russia ranging from Bajocian to Berriasian or Valanginian in age, including fossil material of cf. Thalattosuchus, Torvoneustes and Tyrannoneustes which expands known geographical range of these taxa, as well as including the oldest record of Geosaurini reported to date. Revision of the fossil record of thalattosuchians from the Jurassic Rosso Ammonitico Veronese (Italy), as well as description of three new metriorhynchoid specimens (including a specimen from the upper Bajocian-upper Bathonian of Cima del Porco representing one of the oldest known metriorhynchids, and a Bajocian specimen which might have been a metriorhynchid or a closely related metriorhynchoid), is published by Serafini et al. (2023). Evidence indicative of limited evolutionary convergence in the morphology of the postcranial skeletons of members of Thalattosuchia and Dyrosauridea, even when found within similar environments, is presented by Scavezzoni & Fischer (2023). New specimen of Hsisosuchus of uncertain specific assignment, providing new information on the shape and arrangement of the osteoderms in the ventral trunk shield of members of this genus, is described from the Upper Jurassic of Yunnan (China) by Wu et al. (2023). A study on the notosuchian physiology is published by de Araújo Sena et al. (2023), who find maximal rates of oxygen consumption of notosuchians to be lower than those of extant mammals and monitor lizards but higher than those of extant crocodilians during periods of intensive activity, and interpret notosuchians as likely having a more active lifestyle than extant crocodilians. A study on possible effects of climate, body size and diet on the survival of terrestrial notosuchians during the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event is published by Aubier et al. (2023), who find evidence of increase in body size during the Late Cretaceous which may be related to the shift from omnivorous to carnivorous diet, but find the studied data insufficient to list definitive reasons for the survival of sebecids into the Cenozoic. A study on the bone histology of a femur of Araripesuchus wegeneri is published by Faure-Brac & Cubo (2023), who find no evidence for the presence of sustained fibrolamellar complex in the studied taxon, and interpret this finding as consistent with the ectothermic regime inferred for notosuchians, but not with their high maximum metabolic rates and with upright stance of A. wegeneri, which therefore had a phenotype with no equivalent in the extant fauna. A study on the long bone microstructure in Notosuchus terrestris, providing evidence of high growth rates interrupted by periods of decreased or arrested growth, is published by Navarro, Cerda & Pol (2023). A study on the bone histology of Stratiotosuchus maxhechti, interpreted as indicative of growth dynamics similar to those of medium-to-large theropods, is published by Andrade et al. (2023), who argue that niche partitioning between baurusuchids and theropods was more likely than competitive exclusion. Description of new fossil material of itasuchid crocodyliforms from the Upper Cretaceous Bauru Group (Brazil) is published by Pinheiro et al. (2023), who also confirm the monophyly of Itasuchidae with some variation in its content, and find the South American itasuchid species to occupy a crocodyliform morphospace, possibly indicating distinct niche occupations. A new mandibular ramus referred to Hamadasuchus cf. reboulli is described by Pochat-Cottilloux et al., who propose an emended diagnosis of the taxon and argue that only three specimens are actually referrable to this species. They further discuss multiple anatomical characters of the mandible that they suggest represent intraspecific or ontogenetic differences and are not diagnostically valuable. As a consequence, it is suggested that Antaeusuchus may be a species of Hamadasuchus. Pochat-Cottilloux et al. (2023) describe the endocranial structures of Hamadasuchus, providing evidence of adaptations to terrestrial lifestyle. A study on the ecology of sebecids from the Paleocene locality of Tiupampa (Bolivia), using a multi-isotopic proxy approach, is published by Pochat-Cottilloux et al. (2023), who interpret their findings as indicative of ectothermic thermoregulation and terrestrial lifestyle in the studied crocodylomorphs. A study on the biogeography of neosuchians throughout their evolutionary history, providing evidence of the impact of saltwater tolerance of neosuchians from different subclades on their historical biogeography, is published by Groh et al. (2023). Description of a new specimen of Acynodon adriaticus from the Campanian Villaggio del Pescatore site (Italy) and a study on the affinities of this species is published by Muscioni et al. (2023). Revision of the fossil material of Cenomanian crocodyliforms from the Arlington Archosaur Site (Woodbine Group; Texas, United States), providing evidence of the presence of at least five taxa with different snout shapes and body size which might be related to niche partitioning, is published by Adams, Drumheller & Noto (2023).