The eusuchian crocodylomorph Allodaposuchus subjuniperus sp nov., a new species from the latest Cretaceous (upper Maastrichtian) of Spain

This paper describes the skull of the eusuchian Allodaposuchus subjuniperus sp. nov. This new skull was recovered between the villages of Beranuy and Serraduy del Pon (Huesca, Spain). Stratigraphically, it was located in a level of coarse-grained sandstones in the middle-upper part of the lower red unit (Conques Formation) of the Tremp Group, in the uppermost Maastrichtian close to the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary. Until now Allodaposuchus was a monospecific genus. Phylogenetic analysis places the new taxon as a basal member of Eusuchia forming a clade with the other European Allodaposuchus remains and as a sister clade to the endemic European members of Hylaeochampsidae. Furthermore, Allodaposuchus and Hylaeochampsidae are within the stem of Crocodylia, being key taxa to understanding the origin of Crocodylia. The new taxon is the latest record of Allodaposuchus from Europe, and it presents significant enough morphological differences from Allodaposuchus precedens to establish a new species. The morphological variations in the material included in Allodaposuchus, the wide range of age and the geographical separation among the remains from Romania, France and Spain indicate that Allodaposuchus is not a monospecific genus as traditionally established.