One of the most terrifying monsters of all time has been identified from fossils unearthed in Tanzania. This creature is an archosaur, a group of crocodile-like reptiles from the Triassic period.
Paleontologists have depicted the monster as resembling a hybrid between a crocodile and a dinosaur, with a robust, massive body and four legs that are much more agile than those of modern crocodiles.
According to Live Science, scientists have named the creature Mambawakale ruhuhu, which means “ancient crocodile from the Ruhuhu River”, the location where it was excavated.
“Portrait” of the crocodile-like archosaur recently identified – (Photo: Gabriel Ugueto)
Professor Richard Butler from the University of Birmingham (UK), who led the research, stated that this monster was one of the largest predators of the middle Triassic period (247 million to 237 million years ago), with an estimated length of about 5 meters when alive.
Giant fossilized skull – (Photo: Royal Society Open Science).
Its fossils were actually discovered back in 1963 and taken to the Natural History Museum in London, but many mysteries remained unanswered until now.
According to Daily Mail, the skull of the creature is 75 cm long and was found along with a fairly complete left front leg, sufficient to reconstruct its entire body, although the work took many years. The most terrifying aspect of this monster is its jaw, which is even more fearsome than that of modern crocodiles, with each tooth resembling a small knife.
Creature with a horrifying jaw – (Photo: Royal Society Open Science).
The monster belongs to the archosaur group, known in Vietnamese as “thằn lằn chúa” or “ancient reptiles”. During the Triassic period, this group of reptiles was one of the two main groups, resembling crocodiles. The other group resembled mammals.
Thus, it is not exactly a crocodile, nor is it a dinosaur, but a species that is a complex ancestor related to both.
The research has been published in the journal Royal Society Open Science.
