Cretaceous Nut-Cracker Croc

Mickeroo · 04-03-2012 11:19am #1

didn't think it was worth a new thread when this one is here. New croc species found in a fossil site in Texas, not officially named yet afaik.

It gets the name because they think it specialised on turtles, using its powerful jaws to crush their shells:

Turtles may have had an especially difficult time. As explained by Noto and collaborators Derek Main and Stephanie Drumheller in the latest issue of PALAIOS, the Cretaceous turtles shared their habitat with a large, powerful crocodyliform capable of crushing through the defenses of the shelled reptiles. And the aquatic ambush predator didn’t just specialize on turtles — the crocodyliform was formidable enough to dismember dinosaurs, too.

Full article here: http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2012/03/the-nutcracker-croc-of-cretaceous-texas/