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As a crown group, Alligatoridae only includes the last common ancestor of all extant (living) alligators, caimans, and their descendants (living or extinct), whereas Alligatoroidea, as a stem-based group, also includes more basal extinct alligator ancestors that are more closely related to living alligators than to crocodiles or gavialids.
In 2010, on spring nights alligators were found to gather in large numbers for group courtship, the so-called "alligator dances". [40] In summer, the female builds a nest of vegetation where the decomposition of the vegetation provides the heat needed to incubate the eggs.
A member of this order is called a crocodilian, or colloquially a crocodile. The 9 genera and 28 species of Crocodilia are split into 3 subfamilies: Alligatoridae, alligators and caimans; Crocodylidae, true crocodiles; and Gavialidae, the gharial and false gharial.
As a crown group, Alligatoridae only includes the last common ancestor of all extant (living) alligators, caimans, and their descendants (living or extinct), whereas Alligatoroidea, as a stem group, also includes more basal extinct alligator ancestors that are more closely related to living alligators than to crocodiles or gavialids.
Caimaninae is cladistically defined as Caiman crocodylus (the spectacled caiman) and all species closer to it than to Alligator mississippiensis (the American alligator). [ 8 ] [ 9 ] This is a stem-based definition for caimaninae, and means that it includes more basal extinct caimanine ancestors that are more closely related to living caimans ...
Articles relating to the genus Alligator. The two extant species are the American alligator ( A. mississippiensis ) and the Chinese alligator ( A. sinensis ). Additionally, several extinct species of alligator are known from fossil remains.
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An alligator, or colloquially gator, is a large reptile in the genus Alligator of the family Alligatoridae of the order Crocodilia. The two extant species are the American alligator (A. mississippiensis) and the Chinese alligator (A. sinensis). Additionally, several extinct species of alligator are known from fossil remains.