Gavialis bengawanicus
Gavialis bengawanicus is an extinct species of crocodilian that is related to the modern Indian gharial.[1] Fossils have been found in Thailand and Indonesia. The type locality is at Trinil.[2]
| Gavialis bengawanicus Temporal range: Early Pleistocene-middle Pleistocene | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Crocodilia |
| Family: | Gavialidae |
| Genus: | Gavialis |
| Species: | †G. bengawanicus |
| Binomial name | |
| †Gavialis bengawanicus Dubois, 1908 | |
The presence of this species in Thailand may provide an explanation for the distribution of fossil gharials that appears disjunct, covering Pakistan and Java but not the connecting areas. The fossils suggest that gharials may have dispersed from Indo-Pakistan to Indonesia through Thailand without having to resort to marine routes.[3]
References
- Delfino, M. & De Vos, J. (2010). "A revision of the Dubois crocodylians, Gavialis bengawanicus and Crocodylus ossifragus, from the Pleistocene Homo erectus beds of Java". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 30: 427–441. doi:10.1080/02724631003617910.
- "Gavialis bengawanicus". Paleo-Database.
- Martin, J. E.; Buffetaut, E.; Naksri, W.; Lauprasert, K. & Claude, J. (2012). "Gavialis from the Pleistocene of Thailand and its relevance for drainage connections from India to Java". PLOS One. 7 (9): e44541. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0044541. PMC 3445548. PMID 23028557.
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