SuperCroc was 12m long and ate dinosaurs
An ancient species of crocodile which weighed eight tonnes and snacked on dinosaurs has been discovered in the Sahara.The 'SuperCroc' lived over 100 million years ago and was uncovered by a team from University of Chicago who have led a series of fossil croc hunting expeditions around the world.
But explorer-in-Residence (what a great job title) Prof Paul Sereno says Supercroc was, amazingly, not the oddest remains they found.
The also found a croc with dagger-like fangs, one which fed on plants or grubs - and one with a dog-like soft nose.
The crocs were (very scientifically) given the names, BoarCroc, RatCroc, PancakeCroc, DuckCroc and DogCroc. Click through to find out all about them.
BoarCroc: Kaprosuchus saharicus; fossils found in Niger. Twenty-foot-long upright meat eater with an armored snout for ramming and three sets of dagger-shaped fangs for slicing. Closest relative found in Madagascar.
RatCroc: Araripesuchus rattoides; fossils found in Morocco. Three-foot-long, upright plant and grub eater. Pair of buckteeth in lower jaw used to dig for food. Closest relative in South America.
PancakeCroc: Laganosuchus thaumastos; fossils found in Niger and Morocco. Twenty-foot-long, squat fish eater with a three-foot pancake-flat head. Spike-shaped teeth on slender jaws. Likely rested motionless for hours, its jaws open and waiting for prey. Closest relative from Egypt. The scientific paper also names a close relative discovered by the team in Morocco, Laganosuchus maghrebensis.
DuckCroc: Anatosuchus minor. Fossils found in Niger. Three-foot-long upright fish-, frog- and grub-eater. Broad, overhanging snout and Pinocchio-like nose. Special sensory areas on the snout end allowed it to root around on the shore and in shallow water for prey. Closest relative in Madagascar.
DogCroc: Araripesuchus wegeneri. Fossils found in Niger include five skeletons, all next to each other on a single block of rock. Three-foot-long upright plant and grub eater with a soft, doglike nose pointing forward. Likely an agile galloper, but also a capable swimmer. Closest relative in Argentina.
Prof Paul Sereno said: "These species open a window on a croc world completely foreign to what was living on northern continents."
The five crocs will be detailed in a paper published in the journal ZooKeys and appear in the November 2009 issue of National Geographic magazine.
Photos by Mike Hettwer, courtesy National Geographic
LINKS
National Geographic
RatCroc: Araripesuchus rattoides; fossils found in Morocco. Three-foot-long, upright plant and grub eater. Pair of buckteeth in lower jaw used to dig for food. Closest relative in South America.
PancakeCroc: Laganosuchus thaumastos; fossils found in Niger and Morocco. Twenty-foot-long, squat fish eater with a three-foot pancake-flat head. Spike-shaped teeth on slender jaws. Likely rested motionless for hours, its jaws open and waiting for prey. Closest relative from Egypt. The scientific paper also names a close relative discovered by the team in Morocco, Laganosuchus maghrebensis.
DuckCroc: Anatosuchus minor. Fossils found in Niger. Three-foot-long upright fish-, frog- and grub-eater. Broad, overhanging snout and Pinocchio-like nose. Special sensory areas on the snout end allowed it to root around on the shore and in shallow water for prey. Closest relative in Madagascar.
DogCroc: Araripesuchus wegeneri. Fossils found in Niger include five skeletons, all next to each other on a single block of rock. Three-foot-long upright plant and grub eater with a soft, doglike nose pointing forward. Likely an agile galloper, but also a capable swimmer. Closest relative in Argentina.
Prof Paul Sereno said: "These species open a window on a croc world completely foreign to what was living on northern continents."
The five crocs will be detailed in a paper published in the journal ZooKeys and appear in the November 2009 issue of National Geographic magazine.
Photos by Mike Hettwer, courtesy National Geographic
LINKS
National Geographic
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