A Brazilian scientist has reported the discovery of a fossil belonging to a small crocodile-like reptile that lived during the Triassic period, millions of years before the first dinosaurs appeared.
The report, published in the scientific journal on June 20, indicates that the fossil of the predatory species Parvosuchus aurelioi was found in southern Brazil, including a complete skull, 11 vertebrae, a pelvis, and several limb bones.
Ancient crocodile-like reptile recently discovered in Brazil. (Source: Phys).
Parvosuchus, which lived about 237 million years ago, moved on four legs and measured approximately 1 meter in length. It was a terrestrial predator that fed on smaller reptiles.
The name Parvosuchus translates to “small crocodile” and belongs to an extinct family of reptiles known as Gracilisuchidae. Until now, this species has only been known from fossils found in Argentina and China.
According to paleontologist Rodrigo Muller from the Federal University of Santa Maria and an author of the study, the Gracilisuchidae family is very rare in the fossil world.
This group is particularly fascinating as they lived and went extinct about 7 million years before the dawn of the dinosaurs.
Additionally, Gracilisuchidae represents one of the earliest branches of the Pseudosuchia lineage, which later evolved into modern crocodiles.
Parvosuchus thrived during a period of evolutionary renewal following the worst mass extinction event in Earth’s history, which occurred 252 million years ago. This extinction event paved the way for diverse groups of reptiles to compete for ecological niches before dinosaurs became the dominant species.
