Australia’s prehistoric ‘swamp king’: revision of the Plio-Pleistocene crocodylian genusPallimnarchusde Vis, 1886

A new genus and species of extinct Australian crocodylian, Paludirex vincenti, has been formally described based on a partial skull previously assigned to Pallimnarchus pollens. This discovery resolves taxonomic ambiguity surrounding the fragmentary syntype series of P. pollens, which is now considered nomen dubium due to lack of autapomorphic features and mixed taxonomic origins. Paludirex vincenti is characterized by distinctive premaxillary features, including an arched anterior alveolar process and unique alveolar arrangement, distinguishing it from other mekosuchine crocodylians. Phylogenetic analysis confirms its placement within the Mekosuchinae clade, though further research is needed to clarify intra-clade relationships. Additionally, a second species, Paludirex gracilis, is recognized, combining previously described material from Riversleigh, Queensland.

Ristevski, J., Yates, A. M., Price, G. J., Molnar, R. E., Weisbecker, V., & Salisbury, S. W. (2020). Australia’s prehistoric ‘swamp king’: revision of the Plio-Pleistocene crocodylian genusPallimnarchusde Vis, 1886. PeerJ, 8, e10466. Portico. https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.10466