| Hanyusuchus Temporal range:
| |
|---|---|
| |
| Life reconstruction of Hanyusuchus sinensis by Hikaru Amemiya | |
Extinct (c. 15th century)
| |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Clade: | Archosauromorpha |
| Clade: | Archosauriformes |
| Order: | Crocodilia |
| Family: | Gavialidae |
| Subfamily: | Gavialinae |
| Genus: | †Hanyusuchus Iijima et al., 2022 [1] |
| Type species | |
| †Hanyusuchus sinensis Iijima et al., 2022
| |
Hanyusuchus is an extinct genus of Holocene gavialid crocodilian native to South China, containing a single species Hanyusuchus sinensis. Reaching a total body length of 5.43–6.19 metres (17.8–20.3 ft), it shares characteristics of both tomistomines and derived gharials, such as a possibly sexually dimorphic vocal structure. Hanyusuchus was a recent taxon, living in southern China from approximately the 4th millennium BC (during the Bronze Age) to as late as the 15th century AD, perhaps even later, when increased efforts of government culling and habitat destruction likely led to its extinction. Cut marks found on multiple fossil specimens, as well as archaeological evidence, suggest the presence of repeated conflicts between Hanyusuchus and humans.
- ^ Iijima M, Qiao Y, Lin W, Peng Y, Yoneda M, Liu J (2022). "An intermediate crocodylian linking two extant gharials from the Bronze Age of China and its human-induced extinction". Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 289 (1970): Article ID 20220085. doi:10.1098/rspb.2022.0085. PMC 8905159.