Bigger, Better Ancient Crocodiles

Everything was bigger millions of years ago – dinosaurs, woolly mammoths, and yes, crocodiles. How much bigger? The average Nile crocodile today is 11.5 to 16 feet in length, but an ancient crocodile that was recently discovered in the Sahara desert measured 20 feet long!

Not only was it bigger, but its teeth were scarier too. The ancient crocodile had three sets of fangs and tusks like a wild boar, hence it being named BoarCroc.

Paleontologists recently discovered the remains of five new species of crocodile that lived during the Cretaceous period – about 145 to 65 million years ago. All were found in the Sahara desert, revealing that the area was once swampy.

These crocodiles are said to bridge the gap between prehistoric and modern-day crocodiles. Some are thought to have much longer legs, while others crawled on their bellies. Several of the species lived on dry land and were quick on their feet. One of the researchers said the origin of crocodiles could be in the south, rather than North America or Europe. Paul Sereno, an American paleontologist from the University of Chicago, discovered many of the new crocodile species.

The species, each with different diets, behaviors, and lifestyles within the ecosystem are:

• Boar Crocodile (Kaprosuchus) – This crocodile was 20 feet long with three sets of tusks like a wild boar. It ran upright and used its jaw for ramming. The "BoarCroc" had eye sockets that open laterally and angled forward rather than up, to provide stereoscopic vision.
  
  
• Dog Crocodile – This species is thought to have more sophisticated brain functions than modern crocodiles because it actively hunted on land. CT scans were conducted to see inside the skulls.
  
  
• Duck Crocodile (Anatosuchus) – Found in Niger, this small crocodile was estimated to be about 70 centimeters in length and used its broad snout to eat grubs and frogs.
  
  
• Rat Crocodile (Araripesuchus) – Found in Morocco, this species had a bulgy lower jaw with an under bite. It used its lower jaw to grab food.
  
  
• Pancake Crocodile (Laganosuchus) – Found in Niger and Morocco, this species was 20 feet long with a flat head. Its head was about three feet long and it waited motionless for hours to catch fish with its spiky teeth.

Resources:

http://news.discovery.com/animals/new-ancient-crocodile-species-found.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nile_crocodile

http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2008/02/01/crocodile-missing-link.html

http://tehrantimes.com/Index_view.asp?code=208810

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Sereno

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaprosuchus_saharicus

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anatosuchus_minor

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Araripesuchus_rattoides

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laganosuchus_thaumastos