Taihangosuchus
Taihangosuchus is an extinct genus of gracilisuchid pseudosuchians from the Middle Triassic Ermaying Formation of China. The genus contains a single species, Taihangosuchus wuxiangensis, known from two partial skeletons, one of which includes a skull.
Discovery and naming
The Taihangosuchus fossil material was collected in 2013 by a team from the Shanxi Natural History Museum in outcrops of the Ermaying Formation near Xizaolincun Village in Shanxi Province, China. Two specimens were discovered in close association, and both are accessioned at the Shanxi Natural History Museum. One specimen, SNHM V2014, comprises a skull and partial skeleton including nine cervical vertebrae, both humeri, and part of the right pectoral girdle. The second specimen is more complete, albeit missing the skull, anterior cervical vertebrae, and posterior caudal vertebrae. The humerus of SNHM V2014 is long, while this bone is long in SNHM V2015, around 22% larger than the holotype.In 2025, Wu and colleagues described Taihangosuchus wuxiangensis as a new genus and species of pseudosuchians based on these fossil remains, assigning SNHM V2014 as the holotype specimen and SNHM V2015 as the paratype. The specific name, wuxiangensis, references the discovery of the specimens in Wuxiang County.
Description and paleobiology
The skull of Taihangosuchus is around long in the holotype. The part of the maxilla in front of the antorbital fenestra is very short, and the antorbital fossa is longer than the orbit. The scapula, humerus, and ulna are all similar in length. The postacetabular process of the ilium is truncated, instead of pointed like in other gracilisuchids. There is a robust ridge along the dorsal margin of this region for the origin of the caudofemoralis brevis muscle.Several bone fragments are identifiable in the ribcage of the paratype specimen. The most identifiable elements are osteoderms of various sizes. The morphology of these osteoderms is most similar to those of Halazhaisuchus and Batrachotomus. As such, this may be an indication that Taihangosuchus preyed on animals similar to these. Alternatively, they may derive from an unknown archosaur or even other individuals of Taihangosuchus.