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It is also the largest and oldest known “notosuchian”, predating the other forms by 42 million years. Little is known about the origin and early evolution of the Notosuchia, which are
hitherto unknown in the Jurassic. Cristiano Dal Sasso, of the Natural History Museum of Milan said: "Razanandrongobe sakalavae is the largest terrestrial carnivore from this Middle
Jurassic terrestrial ecosystem and was perhaps one of the top predators in Madagascar at the time. "Its jaws were extremely robust and high, but possibly short, and bore large teeth
with serrated edges resembling those of theropod dinosaurs. "Many features of this species strongly suggest that it fed also on hard tissue such as bone and tendon. "The new
material described herein has permitted us to score a sufficient number of characters to test the phylogenetic relationships of the species, placing it within the notosuchian
mesoeucrocodylians closely related to the sebecosuchians. "The phylogenetic analysis also reveals that R. sakalavae is a valid species well-distinct from any other currently known
member of Notosuchia. "In actual fact, it contributes to filling in a gap in the group's evolution, which contains a long ghost lineage in the Jurassic. "It documents a
dramatic, somewhat unexpected, size increase in the early history of the group. "Moreover, its geographic position during the period when Madagascar was separating from other Gondwana
landmasses is strongly suggestive of an endemic lineage. "At the same time, it represents a further signal that the Notosuchia originated from southern Gondwana." A combination of
anatomical features clearly identify this taxon as a Jurassic notosuchian, close to the South American baurusuchids and sebecids, that were highly specialised predators of terrestrial
habits, different from present-day crocodilians in having a deep skull and powerful erect limbs. Co-author Simone Maganuco also of the Natural History Museum of Milan added: "Its
geographic position during the period when Madagascar was separating from other landmasses is strongly suggestive of an endemic lineage. "At the same time, it represents a further
signal that the Notosuchia originated in southern Gondwana." The study was published in the journal PeerJ.