Land-dwelling crocodile remains have been discovered which suggests that the creature lived alongside the dinosaurs almost 170 million years ago. However, what is even more striking is that the creature seems to have had serrated teeth similar to the ones found T.Rex. This discovery has led researchers to conclude that the Ancient Crocodile consumed food similar to the T.Rex, which included hard animal tissue such as cartilage and bones.
Ancient crocodile with T.Rex like teeth
Scientists claimed that this remain belonged to the earliest known crocodile-like animals known as Notosuchians.
This particular creature has been scientifically named Razanandrongobe sakalavae, which means giant lizard ancestor from the Sakalava region. These land-dwelling animals differed from modern day crocodiles regarding their distinct shape of the skull and straight and powerful legs.
The creature, nicknamed Razana, have been described in detail by researchers and paleontologists who dug up the remains. The skull bones led researchers to conclude that these ancient creatures bore striking similarities with another type of Notosuchians from South America, named baurusuchids.
Razana’s head suggested that its body was around 22-feet in length and would have weighed as much as 2,200 pounds. This is comparable to the modern day crocodiles.
In fact, an adult saltwater crocodile could be similar in terms of size and weight. 22-feet long crocodiles have been spotted before, and these usually weigh around a ton.
These crocodiles could have fed on other dinosaurs
These creatures occupied the land along with dinosaurs, which meant that they would need to feed off dinosaurs as well.
Previous research into the species was unable to reach a concrete conclusion due to the lack of fossil materials. However, with the discovery of the recent fossils of Razana, scientists were finally able to add the missing links and assign it to a group called mesoeucrocodylians.
Razana is so far the oldest member of the Notosuchians to have been unearthed.
It precedes previous Notosuchian discoveries by at least 42 million years. Due to its size and features, the crocodile could very easily come out at the top of the food chain when compared to dinosaurs.
Researchers have also drawn some conclusion from the region that Razana’s remains were found. Considering the geographic layout and the fact that Madagascar, where the remains were dug up, was at that time separating from the other land masses, suggests that it was an endemic lineage. It also indicates that notosuchians originated in the southern part of Gondwana. This was an ancient continent which combined the lands of Australia, South America, Africa, and much more.
