New Prehistoric Crocodilian
Posted by: Loren Coleman on March 27th, 2008
This image released by Rio de Janeiro Federal University, shows a new pointy-nosed prehistoric crocodile species that inhabited the Earth’s oceans 62 million years ago.
Brazilian scientists unveiled a model of the nine foot (three meter) long Guarinisuchus munizi on Wednesday, March 26, 2008.
The discovery may shed new light on the evolutionary history of the extinct group, which was a predecessor to modern crocodile species, and the theorized spreading of the species from Africa to South America.
Thats fascinating. I had no idea there were species of marine crocodilians. Good stuff.
looks like a gavial
So that would mean that that species of crocodiles, being marine crocs, would have left Africa by swimming to South America ?
@DarthBadger
I don’t think there anything to suggest this species had a different lifestyle to modern saltwater crocodiles, except maybe the jaws look more adept to catching fish. To me that suggest a more aquatic lifestyle, probably a much better swimmer.
This coupled with the fact that Africa and South America were much closer back then would make that idea highly possible.
I don’t know, maybe the long pointy snout helped him catch fish in coral reefs or something.
Not exactly, Red. The narrow jaw is a common enough
adaptation in all kinds of fish-eaters, like the Gavail
that Samson77 mentioned above. I believe the shape
makes the snout easier to ’slash about’ in schools
of smaller fish. I notice the feet are depicted as
webbed in one of the images-if memory serves, there
were extinct crocodillians that had flippers, ala’ the
mosasaurs.
Whats most interesting is how the crocodillians survived at all-they were around and abundant
65 million years ago, just like the dinosaurs.
I really like that painting! That is some mythical stuff right there. Legendary crocs were rulers of the oceans.
Crocodiles have a very low metabolism and can survive long periods without food. Furthermore than can become comparably old. Some species are even able to burrow holes to survive droughts of several months. Dinosaurs in contrast had a very high metabolism, and needed a lot of food and very continuously. And most species died at a comparably early age.