biology

Laevisuchus

Laevisuchus is a biology topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Laevisuchus rather than just read about it. In short: Laevisuchus (, "light crocodile") is a genus of theropod dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous. Its remains were discovered by Charles Alfred Matley near Jabalpur in Maastrichtian "Carnosaur Bed" deposits in the Lameta Formation in Madhya Pradesh, central India, and were named and described by paleontologists Friedrich von Huene and Matley in 1933.

Key takeaways

Laevisuchus belongs to biology; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Laevisuchus to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Laevisuchus from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Laevisuchus (, "light crocodile") is a genus of theropod dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous. Its remains were discovered by Charles Alfred Matley near Jabalpur in Maastrichtian "Carnosaur Bed" deposits in the Lameta Formation in Madhya Pradesh, central India, and were named and described by paleontologists Friedrich von Huene and Matley in 1933.

Discovery

The type species is Laevisuchus indicus. The generic name is derived from Latin laevis, "light" and the Greek name for the ancient Egyptian crocodile god, Soukhos. The specific name means "Indian" in Latin. It is known only from three cervical vertebrae (GSI K20/613, GSI K20/614, and GSI K27/696) and a dorsal vertebra (GSI K27/588). A holotype was not assigned by Huene and Matley, and a lectotype has never been chosen from the syntypes. All remains except GSI K27/696 were lost, though GSI K20/613 was rediscovered in 2012. A 2024 revision of the small-bodied theropods from India classified Jubbulpuria tenuis as a junior synonym of Laevisuchus, and suggested that other taxa (Compsosuchus solus and Ornithomimoides? barasimlensis) are likely indeterminate abelisaurs.

Description Laevisuchus was a small bipedal carnivore about the same size as Masiakasaurus, which is estimated to be around 2 metres (6.6 ft) in length. It was described on the basis of cervical (GSI K20/614, GSI K20/613, GSI K27/696) and dorsal vertebrae (GSI K27/588), being distinguished by blunt pre- and postzygapophyses, shorter proportions, and a central neural spine position in dorsal view, unlike the relative Masiakasaurus. Its broader neural arch and deeper incisions in spinopostzygapophyseal laminae differentiate it from Noasaurus. GSI K27/696 features a neural arch significantly broader and longer than the centrum, creating a top-heavy look. Pneumatopores on its sides and uneven joint surfaces accentuate this look, while pronounced parapophyses suggest ventral expansion. The referred caudal vertebrae GSI K20/612 and GSI K27/614 (Jubbulpuria) are similar in size and shape, potentially from the same Laevisuchus specimen. The former lacks features such as the transverse processes and neural spine, and the latter is slightly stouter, indicating a more proximal tail position. A partial right dentary RTMNU/DG/VERT/1/55P/2020, shares features with the noasaurid Masiakasaurus, and, while it wasn't formally referred to as Laevisuchus, it was suggested to come from it or a related form.

Classification Laevisuchus was originally classified by Huene as a "coelurid" due to the similarity of its vertebrae with those of the Coelurosaur Aristosuchus. However, an analysis in 2004 has shown it to be an abelisauroid because of its long epipophyses, a pair of foramina on the centrum, and low and triangular neural spines. The vertebrae specifically resemble those of noasaurids like Masiakasaurus and Noasaurus due to having more anteriorly placed neural spines and posteriorly reduced epipophyses. The Jubbulpuria material was originally classified by Huene as another "coelurid" similar to but smaller than Coeluroides, another poorly known theropod from the Lameta Formation.

In 2024, Laevisuchus was recovered as a member of the Noasauridae, in an unresolved position outside the clade that includes Masiakasaurus and Noasaurus. Jubbulpuria was also considered a possible synonym of Laevisuchus. Later in 2024, Hendrickx et al. recovered Noasaurus in a polytomy with Laevisuchus, Masiakasaurus, Velocisaurus, and Vespersaurus, likely representing a radiation of small-bodied noasaurids that occurred during the Late Cretaceous.

Illustrations

Laevisuchus: Jubbulpuria vertebra, now referred to Laevisuchus — Jubbulpuria vertebra, now referred to Laevisuchus

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Laevisuchus

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Laevisuchus claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In biology, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Laevisuchus before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Laevisuchus ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Laevisuchus

In research: Laevisuchus appears in biology research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Laevisuchus in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Laevisuchus is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Dinosaur genera, Dinosaurs of India, Fossil taxa described in 1933, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Laevisuchus outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Laevisuchus in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Laevisuchus means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Laevisuchus out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Laevisuchus in simple terms?

Why does Laevisuchus matter?

Because it connects several biology ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Laevisuchus?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Laevisuchus.