Ahdeskatanka (meaning alligator in Dakota word) is an extinct genus of alligatorine crocodilian that lived in the Early Eocene of North Dakota, USA. The type and only species is Ahdeskatanka russlanddeutsche.
Discovery and Naming[]
It was discovered between 1958 and 1961 by an expedition conducted by Yale Peabody Museum. In 2024, it was named as a new species of alligatorid. The generic name is "Ahdeskatanka", which means alligator in Dakota word, while the specific name is named after Germans who settled North Dakota in the late 19th Century.
Description[]
It is a small alligatorine with a wide head and blunt teeth. The snout is wider than modern alligators. The external nares are faced upwards. Each premaxilla contained five teeth. The first three teeth and fifth tooth is equal in size. The lacrimal forms much of the pointed anterior end of the eyesocket, which gives the back of the bone the shape of an inverted V. The intermediate process extends to the space between lacrimal and the jugal bone. Though overally circular, the lateral edges of the nares are linear. The eyesockets are teardrop-shaped. The mandible is most likely short and robust.
Classification[]
It is classified as a member of Alligatorinae in the family Alligatoridae. The closest living relative is the Chinese Alligator and its closing extinct relative is the sister genus Allognathossuchus.
Paleoecology[]
It coexisted with Coryphodon, Peltosaurus, Hyracotherium, and others in the Golden Valley Formation.
Gallery[]
