A new crocodylomorph (Pseudosuchia, Crocodylomorpha) from the Upper Triassic of Texas and its phylogenetic relationships

A new crocodylomorph taxon, Pattisaura gracilis, is described based on an associated partial skeleton from the Upper Triassic Dockum Group of northwest Texas. Pattisaura gracilis represents a non-crocodyliform crocodylomorph and can be characterized mainly by a set of character states from the skull, vertebral column, pelvis, and osteoderms. The discovery of P. gracilis expands the distribution range of non-crocodyliform crocodylomorphs in North America. P. gracilis may be closely related to Redondavenator quayensis from northeast New Mexico. With addition of P. gracilis, our phylogenetic analysis does not support the monophyly of Sphenosuchia and the presence of an Argentinian clade, a purely North American clade, or a Middle to Late Jurassic Hallopodidae among non-crocodyliform crocodylomorphs but confirms the closest relationship of Almadasuchus to Crocodyliformes and partly supports the existence of Solidocrania with Hallopus victor as its most basally branching member. http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:572159ED-1546-4434-8AAA-052F56287539