In biological classification , a subfamily ( Latin : subfamilia , plural subfamiliae ) is an auxiliary (intermediate) taxonomic rank , next below family but more inclusive than genus . Standard nomenclature rules end botanical subfamily names with "-oideae", and zoological subfamily names with "-inae".
8-606: Osteolaeminae is a subfamily of true crocodiles within the family Crocodylidae containing the dwarf crocodiles and slender-snouted crocodiles , and is the sister taxon to Crocodylinae . Osteolaeminae was named by Christopher Brochu in 2003 as a subfamily of Crocodylidae separate from Crocodylinae, and is cladistically defined as Osteolaemus tetraspis (the Dwarf crocodile ) and all crocodylians more closely related to it than to Crocodylus niloticus (the Nile crocodile ). This
16-1007: A basal member of Crocodylinae , more closely related to Crocodylus than to Osteolaemus and the other members of Osteolaeminae, as shown in the cladogram below. Rimasuchus lloydi † Voay robustus † Osteolaemus osborni Osborn’s dwarf crocodile Osteolaemus tetraspis Dwarf crocodile "Crocodylus" gariepensis † Brochuchus parvidens † Brochuchus pigotti † Euthecodon arambourgi † Euthecodon brumpti † Mecistops cataphractus West African slender-snouted crocodile Crocodylus thorbjarnarsoni † Crocodylus anthropophagus † Crocodylus niloticus Nile crocodile Crocodylus checchiai † Crocodylus moreletii Morelet's crocodile Crocodylus intermedius Orinoco crocodile Crocodylus acutus American crocodile Crocodylus rhombifer Cuban crocodile Crocodylus palaeindicus † Crocodylus palustris Mugger crocodile Subfamily (biology) Detarioideae
24-1575: Is a stem-based definition, and is the sister taxon to Crocodylinae . Osteolaeminae contains the two extant genera Osteolaemus and Mecistops , along with several extinct genera, although the number of extant species within Osteolaeminae is currently in question. The cladogram below is based on two studies that combined morphological , molecular ( DNA sequencing ), and stratigraphic ( fossil age) data. Mecistops cataphractus West African slender-snouted crocodile Euthecodon † Brochuchus † Rimasuchus † Osteolaemus osborni Osborn’s dwarf crocodile Osteolaemus tetraspis Dwarf crocodile Voay † Crocodylus anthropophagus † Crocodylus thorbjarnarsoni † Crocodylus palaeindicus † Crocodylus Tirari Desert † Crocodylus johnstoni Freshwater crocodile Crocodylus novaeguineae New Guinea crocodile Crocodylus mindorensis Philippine crocodile Crocodylus porosus Saltwater crocodile Crocodylus siamensis Siamese crocodile Crocodylus palustris Mugger crocodile Crocodylus checchiai † Crocodylus falconensis † Crocodylus suchus West African crocodile Crocodylus niloticus Nile crocodile Crocodylus moreletii Morelet's crocodile Crocodylus rhombifer Cuban crocodile Crocodylus intermedius Orinoco crocodile Crocodylus acutus American crocodile Alternatively, other morphological studies have recovered Mecistops as
32-557: Is an extinct genus of crocodile known from the Early Miocene Hiwegi Formation of Rusinga Island in Lake Victoria , Kenya ; it was originally named as a species of Crocodylus . It contains two species, B. parvidens and B. pigotti . Brochuchus belongs to the family Crocodylidae , which includes all living crocodiles. The closest living relative of Brochuchus is Osteolaemus ,
40-421: Is an example of a botanical subfamily. Detarioideae is a subdivision of the family Fabaceae (legumes), containing 84 genera. Stevardiinae is an example of a zoological subfamily. Stevardiinae is a large subdivision of the family Characidae , a diverse clade of freshwater fish . This biology article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Brochuchus pigotti Brochuchus
48-563: The dwarf crocodile. Compared to Osteolaemus , which has a small body and blunt snout, Brochuchus has a more generalized crocodylid anatomy. Brochuchus is characterized by a flat and relatively narrow skull, and although it is larger than Osteolaemus it is smaller than most other crocodylids. It has two prominent bumps on the surface of its snout. The genus was named in honor of Christopher A. Brochu , for his scientific work on Crocodylia and its relatives. The unusual combination and spelling are intended as an auditory and visual pun such that
56-533: The genus Crocodylus , which includes most living crocodiles. Brochuchus has a generalized crocodylid body form with a long, narrow snout and a robust skeleton. Like most other species within Crocodylidae, Brochuchus was probably predatory and likely spent much of its time in water. As shown by the many mammal fossils that have been found on Rusinga Island , Brochuchus lived alongside several species of proboscideans (elephant relatives) and primates ,
64-553: The ‘ch’ sound in Brochu takes the place of the ‘s’ sound in ‘suchus.’ combined with ‘souchos’ (Greek for crocodile), which is a common suffix for crocodylomorph genera. A phylogenetic analysis published in 2013 found that Brochuchus was a close relative of Osteolaemus . Brochuchus and Osteolaemus are part of a clade within Crocodylidae called Osteolaeminae . This clade is the sister taxon to Crocodylinae which contains
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