Baru

Baru Temporal range: Late Oligocene - Middle Miocene,
Replica skull, Baru sp. from Alcoota fossil site
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Crocodilia
Clade:	†Mekosuchinae
Genus:	†Baru Willis et al., 1990
Species
†Baru darrowi Wilis et al., 1990 (type species) †Baru huberi Willis, 1997 †Baru wickeni Willis, 1997

Baru is an extinct genus of Australian mekosuchine crocodilian. It was semi-aquatic, around 4 m (13 ft) in length. Being semi-aquatic its habitat was around fresh pools of water in wet forests, ambushing their prey, much like modern species. The word Baru is Aboriginal and means "crocodile's ancestor".

Fossils have been found in Australia at Riversleigh in north-western Queensland and Alcoota in the Northern Territory.

Species

There are currently three valid species within the genus Baru. The type species B. darrowi is known from the Middle Miocene of the Northern Territory and is the largest reaching size of 4–5 m in length. It is named after English actor Paul Darrow. Two older species, B. huberi and B. wickeni are known from the Late Oligocene Etadunna Formation of Queensland.

In 2009, a Baru skull had been found at the Alcoota fossil site about 200km (125 miles) from Alice Springs, in the Northern Territory (NT) of Australia. It was thought to belong to a known reptile of the Baru genus, but that has been updated with new study which claims this is a new species, which is expected to be named in 2022.

Phylogeny

A 2018 tip dating study by Lee & Yates simultaneously using morphological, molecular (DNA sequencing), and stratigraphic (fossil age) data established the inter-relationships within Crocodylia. The cladogram below shows the placement of Baru within Mekosuchinae:

Crocodylia

Alligatoroidea       Prodiplocynodon†       Asiatosuchus†       "Crocodylus" affinis†       "Crocodylus" depressifrons†         "Crocodylus" acer†     Brachyuranochampsa†       Mekosuchinae   Australosuchus†         Kambara taraina†     Kambara implexidens†         Kambara murgonensis†           Kalthifrons†     ‘Pallimnarchus’†         Baru wickeni†       Baru darrowi†     Baru Alcoota†               Bullock Creek taxon†     Baru huberi†         Volia†       Mekosuchus†       Trilophosuchus†     Quinkana†                   Longirostres Crocodyloidea   "Crocodylus" megarhinus†     Crocodylidae     Gavialoidea   extinct basal Gavialoids†   Gavialidae   Gavialis     Tomistoma

External links

• Australia's Lost Kingdoms
• Reconstructing Dead Aussie Crocs