Tomistominae Temporal range: Eocene - Recent,
| |
---|---|
![]() | |
False gharial, Tomistoma schlegelii | |
Scientific classification ![]() (disputed) | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Reptilia |
Clade: | Archosauromorpha |
Clade: | Archosauriformes |
Order: | Crocodilia |
Clade: | Longirostres |
Superfamily: | Gavialoidea |
Family: | Gavialidae |
Subfamily: | Tomistominae Kälin, 1955 |
Genera | |
Tomistominae is a subfamily of crocodylians that includes one living species, the false gharial. Many more extinct species are known, extending the range of the subfamily back to the Eocene epoch. In contrast to the false gharial, which is a freshwater species that lives only in southeast Asia, extinct tomistomines had a global distribution and lived in estuaries and along coastlines.
The classification of tomistomines among Crocodylia has been in flux; while traditionally thought to be within Crocodyloidea, molecular evidence indicates that they are more closely related to true gharials as members of Gavialoidea.
© MMXXIII Rich X Search. We shall prevail. All rights reserved. Rich X Search