Fossil hunters unearth galloping, dinosaur-eating crocodiles in Sahara
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Artist’s conception of BoarCroc [Credit: National Geographic/ Todd Marshall] |
Three of the crocodiles are new species and include Kaprosuchus saharicus, a 6.5m-long beast with three sets of dagger-like tusks and an armoured snout for ramming its prey.
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A flesh model of the head of RatCroc and its fossil lower jaw. RatCroc used its pair of buckteeth to dig for plant roots and grubs [Credit: National Geographic/Mike Hettwer] |
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Artist’s conception of RatCroc, a metre-long, upright plant and grub-eater [Credit: National Geographic/Todd Marshall] |
The most striking feature the beasts have in common was revealed by their bone structure, which suggests they were efficient swimmers but that when they clambered ashore they were also capable of galloping across the plains. Modern crocodiles crawl on their bellies because their legs sprawl out to the side.
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A flesh model of the head of PancakeCroc and its fossil lower jaw. PancakeCroc was a fish eater with a metre-long, pancake-flat skull [Credit: National Geographic/Mike Hettwer] |
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PancakeCroc probably remained motionless for hours, its open jaws waiting for prey [Credit: National Geographic/Todd Marshall] |
The third new species, Araripesuchus rattoides, was only a metre long and probably used a pair of buckteeth in its lower jaw to dig for grubs.
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A flesh model of the head of DogCroc and its fossil skull. DogCroc had a soft, doglike nose and would have been an agile galloper and swimmer [Credit: National Geographic/Mike Hettwer] |
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Artist's conception of DogCroc, an agile galloper and capable swimmer [Credit: National Geographic/Todd Marshall] |
Most of the fossils were found near the site where, in 2001, Sereno uncovered a 12m-long crocodile that lived 110m years ago. The beast, nicknamed SuperCroc, weighed around eight tonnes. The latest fossils are described in the journal ZooKeys.
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A flesh model of the head of DuckCroc and its fossil skull. DuckCroc had a broad, overhanging snout and a long, pointed nose [Credit: National Geographic/Mike Hettwer] |
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DuckCroc was around a metre long. In common with the other ancient crocs, but unlike modern crocodiles, it walked upright with its legs extended [Credit: National Geographic/Todd Marshall] |
Author: Ian Sample | Source: The Guardian [December 03, 2015]
Where are the bodies? All they're showing is just the skulls or even less. How do they know they had long legs and such? (I also want to see them for creature design purposes.)
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