Durophagous adaptations in a new crocodyliform from the Santonian of Hungary and a systematic reassessment of European Cretaceous atoposaurids

Sabresuchus tribodon sp. nov. from the Santonian of Hungary is consistently recovered as the sister taxon of Theriosuchus (Theriosuchus) sympiestodon, based on phylogenetic analyses using three datasets.

• Why it matters: Unclear atoposaurid relationships and contested Theriosuchus monophyly obscure how these European Jurassic–Cretaceous crocodyliforms fit into crocodylomorph evolutionary history.
• What they did: The authors described a new Santonian taxon from isolated cranial elements and ran comprehensive phylogenetic analyses with three separate datasets, alongside a systematic reassessment of European Cretaceous atoposaurids.
• The result: Sabresuchus tribodon sp. nov. shows a unique durophagy-linked character suite, and the reassessment tentatively confirms Theriosuchus polyphyly, reinterpreting Aprosuchus ghirai as a junior synonym of Sabresuchus sympiestodon.