Because of this Dentaneosuchus could play an important part in deciphering the origins and dispersal of European sebecids, as their presence on the continent, far away from their primary range in South America, is still not entirely resolved.

However, for as of yet unknown reasons crocodylomorphs would lose their spot as top predator in this part of the world by the end of the Eocene, with Dentaneosuchus representing one of the last members of its group in Europe.

[1] When describing Iberosuchus in 1975, Miguel Telles Antunes considered the possibility that the Issel remains may have belonged to the same animal, tentatively referring the symphysis to his new genus,[2] and Ortega et al. (1996) agreed with this placement.

[4] However, the referral of various European sebecid specimens to Iberosuchus was at times done under less than ideal conditions, as much of the material didn't overlap and the assignment was in large parts based on very few characters not exclusive to the genus.

When naming Atacisaurus, Astre declared A. glarea the type species, but in the following years the holotype had been lost and available figures failed to show any diagnostic traits.

However, the preserved elements show that the anatomy is unique and the anterior articular process in particular is covered in a complex system of muscle insertions and tendon passages.

This region is notably better developed in Dentaneosuchus compared to what is seen in modern crocodiles, but Martin and colleagues hesitate to draw any specific conclusions in regards to the musculature from this.

[5] Prior studies on the osteoderms of various Notosuchians have indicated that these bones were much more deeply nested in the skin than they are in modern crocodiles and possibly covered in a thick, leathery layer similar to what is observed in softshell turtles.

The lower jaw of this genus measures up to 90 cm (35 in) (not accounting for the retroarticular process), which puts it in a similar size range as the giant Barinasuchus from the Miocene of South America.

Dentaneosuchus could have even exceeded Barinasuchus in skull length considering that the type specimen from Issel is slightly larger than the more complete material from Réalmont.

This is rendered especially difficult by the lack of fully preserved postcranial skeletons for members of this group, which means that body size is generally estimated based on the proportions of other terrestrial Notosuchians, leading to vastly different results.

[5] Phylogenetic analysis conducted on the material of Dentaneosuchus places it in the family Sebecidae, which was recovered as closely related to the South American Baurusuchidae with which it forms Sebecosuchia.

The fused nasals and splenials, shape of the supratemporal fenestrae and presence of a large notch between the premaxilla and maxilla are among several cranial features that clearly set it apart from members of the Peirosauridae.

Furthermore, the authors also point out that there are still many unknowns regarding the anatomy of Dentaneosuchus that would greatly impact its phylogenetic placement and how future discoveries could change its position drastically.

[5] Baurusuchidae Dentaneosuchus crassiproratus Iberosuchus macrodon Bergisuchus dietrichbergi Ayllusuchus fernandezi Bretesuchus bonapartei Barinasuchus arveloi Ogresuchus furatus Lumbrera form Zulmasuchus querejazus Sebecus icaeorhinus Sebecus huilensis The precise age of Dentaneosuchus and European sebecids in general is subject to change as the various Paleogene localities of Europe are studied more closely and more information important for the stratigraphy is found.

[5] The origins of European sebecids remains a debated subject and is shrouded in a variety of questions due to the poor record of the group, especially outside of South America.

While tentative at most, the phylogenetic position of Dentaneosuchus as well as Iberosuchus and Bergisuchus could suggest a link to older, Cretaceous sebecids native to Europe such as Ogresuchus and Doratodon, however both of which are equally poorly understood.

This is in part based on the fact that European fauna following the early Eocene is heavily shaped by faunal interchange with Laurasian groups, arriving from Asia and North America.

Other isolated remains from the Upper Eocene have been found in Libya and Egypt, lending further credence to African holdouts of the group and a possible link between them and the European forms.

The first suggests not a Gondwanan origin for the family, but one centered in Europe, dispersing into Africa and rafting across the Atlantic to South America in a fashion similar to caviomorph rodents.

Studies on parts of the mammal fauna of the Geiseltal in Germany for instance reveal that gigantism during the Eocene may be tied to biotic factors such as climate and available resources.

[5] While the precise details of which prey Dentaneosuchus preferred are not known and require isotopic analysis to determine, the great size alone is a good indicator for the fact that this sebecid was an apex predator in its environment.

Other predators native to continental Europe that may have been in competition with Dentaneosuchus includes planocraniid crocodiles like Boverisuchus, large terrestrial birds and hyaenodontid mammals.

The reasons for their extinction both in Europe and South America remain unknown, but may include a lack of suitable prey, competition from mammalian predators, changes in climate and environment or other biotic or even abiotic factors as of yet undiscovered.