Notosuchids

Notosuchids were a diverse group of small to medium-sized terrestrial crocodilians that lived during the Cretaceous period. They are classified within the clade Notosuchia, a subgroup of the Mesoeucrocodylia, which are extinct neosuchian crocodylomorphs. Unlike their aquatic or semi-aquatic relatives, notosuchids were primarily land-dwellers, possessing adaptations for terrestrial locomotion and possibly a more herbivorous or omnivorous diet.

Fossil evidence for notosuchids is found in South America, Africa, and Madagascar, indicating a wide distribution across the Gondwanan supercontinent. Key features that distinguish them include relatively short, robust snouts, often with upturned tips, and strong hind limbs suggesting a more cursorial lifestyle. Some species, like *Uruguaysuchus*, had specialized teeth that hint at a diet including plants or invertebrates. Others, such as *Notosuchus* itself, possessed unusual cranial ornamentation.

The phylogenetic relationships within Notosuchia are complex and subject to ongoing research, but they are generally considered to be a paraphyletic group, meaning they do not include all the descendants of their most recent common ancestor. Their terrestrial adaptations provide a fascinating glimpse into the evolutionary diversification of crocodilians beyond their typical aquatic niches. The extinction of notosuchids, like most non-avian dinosaurs and other crocodilians, is linked to the Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction event.