Parvosuchus
Parvosuchus is an extinct genus of gracilisuchid pseudosuchians from the Middle–Late Triassic Santa Maria Formation of Brazil. The genus contains a single species, P. aurelioi, known from a cranium and partial skeleton.
Discovery and naming
The Parvosuchus holotype specimen, CAPPA/Federal University of [Santa Maria|UFSM] 0412, was discovered at the Linha Várzea 2 site in the Pinheiros-Chiniquá Sequence, which belongs to the Santa Maria Formation of the Santa Maria Supersequence in Paraíso do Sul municipality of Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil. This locality represents the Dinodontosaurus Assemblage Zone. The specimen consists of a largely articulated skeleton, including the skull and lower jaws, the last 11 dorsal vertebrae, two sacral vertebrae, a pelvic girdle, part of the right femur, and a partial left hindlimb.In 2024, Rodrigo T. Müller described Parvosuchus aurelioi as a new genus and species of gracilisuchid pseudosuchians based on these fossil remains. The generic name, Parvosuchus, combines "parvus", a Latin word meaning "small", with "suchus", a Greek word meaning "crocodile". The specific name, aurelioi, honors Pedro L. P. Aurélio, the discoverer of the holotype.