New remains of Machimosaurus hugii von Meyer, 1837 (Crocodilia, Thalattosuchia) from the Kimmeridgian of Germany

The holotype of the thalattosuchian Machimosaurus hugii von Meyer, 1837 from the Lower Kimmeridgian strata of Soleure, Switzerland has been erected on the basis of teeth. Due to their characteristic morphology bearing a set of pronounced vertical ridges on the enamel surface, the genus Machimosaurus von Meyer, 1837 is easily recognizable in Late Jurassic strata of Europe (Sauvage & Li nard 1879; Krebs 1967, 1968; Buffetaut 1982; Hua et al. 1993; Hua 1999; Karl et al. 2006). However, only three relatively complete specimens have been reported so far. Machimosaurus mosae (Li nard, 1876, unpublished work) from the Kimmeridgian near Verdun, Meuse, France was originally described on fairly complete material (Sauvage & Li nard 1879), but has since been lost (Hua 1999). Krebs (1967, 1968) also described skull fragments he attributed to Machimosaurus hugii from the Kimmeridgian of Guimarota, Portugal and attempted an accurate reconstruction of the skull. Buffetaut (1982) described the first complete skull attributable to the type species, Machimosaurus hugii from the Kimmeridgian of Montmerle, Ain, France. The third nearly complete specimen (BHN2R 1100) has been referred to Machimosaurus mosae and was found in the Kimmeridgian of Pas-deCalais, France (Hua 1999). Although relatively complete, the two remaining specimens bear damage or in the case of M. hugii from Montmerle, the mandible in occlusion precludes any palatal observation to the exception of the anterior part of the rostrum. Therefore, many details of the anatomy of Machimosaurus remain unknown. The genus Machimosaurus is restricted to the Late Jurassic, the oldest record being possibly represented by fragmentary remains from the Upper Oxfordian strata near Hannover, Germany (Krebs 1968). Although a few thalattosuchians such as Peipehsuchus teleorhinus Young, 1948 from the Late Jurassic deposits of China and a yet undescribed taxon from Late Jurassic strata