Name:
Aristosuchus (Greek for "noble crocodile"); pronounced AH-riss-toe-SOO-kuss
Habitat:
Woodlands of western Europe
Historical Period:
Early Cretaceous (125 million years ago)
Size and Weight:
About 6 feet long and 50 pounds
Diet:
Meat
Distinguishing Characteristics:
Small size; bipedal stance
About Aristosuchus:
Despite the familiar "suchus" (Greek for "crocodile") in its name, Aristosuchus was a full-fledged dinosaur, although one that remains poorly understood. This smallish, western European theropod seems to have been closely related to both the North American Compsognathus and the South American Mirischia; it was initially classified as a species of Poekilopleuron by the famous paleontologist Richard Owen, way back in 1876, until Harry Seeley assigned it to its own genus a few years later.
