REASSESSMENT OF PLATYOGNATHUS HSUI YOUNG, 1944 (ARCHOSAURIA, CROCODYLIFORMES) FROM THE LOWER LUFENG FORMATION (LOWER JURASSIC) OF YUNNAN, CHINA

The holotype of Platyognathus hsui Young, 1944, an incomplete mandible from the Lower Jurassic Lower Lufeng Formation of Yunnan (China), was lost or destroyed during World War II. Material subsequently referred to this taxon actually represents a different taxon of basal Crocodyl iformes, and some authors have recently questioned the validity of P. hsui. A partial skull collected in 1984 is referable to P. hsui and is designated as a neotype. It corroborates most of the features origina lly used by Young to diagnose P. hsui and provides additional diagnost ic characters for that taxon. P. hsui can be distinguished from other basal crocodyliform taxa primarily by the fused mandibular symphysis, large caniniform teeth in positions 5 and 6 in the dentary, and the po lygonal cross-section of (at least) the sixth dentary tooth. P. hsui i s referred to the Protosuchia sensu Wu ct al. (1994).