Fossil specimens of a marine crocodile that lived 140 million years ago have been discovered in Patagonia, South America. Scientists have named it Godzilla due to its dinosaur-like snout and jagged, serrated teeth.
A group of researchers from Argentina believes this species was a fierce predator that primarily fed on marine animals. Unlike the crocodiles we see today, it lived entirely underwater and had fins instead of legs, measuring 4 meters in length, with a jaw that was 35 cm long.
Typically, marine crocodiles are known for their long, slender snouts and conical teeth used for catching small fish and soft-bodied creatures.
However, this newly discovered fossil crocodile possesses a snout resembling that of a dinosaur and large, jagged teeth.
“These characteristics suggest that this crocodile may belong to the carnivorous dinosaur lineage of Tyrannosaurus (a type of dinosaur with short legs and a very long tail),” said researcher Diego Pol from Ohio State University, Columbus, USA. “Its bizarre shape is truly surprising because no one would expect it to be a marine crocodile.”
The shape and size of the jaw and teeth of this fossil crocodile indicate that it was specialized in preying on large marine animals, rather than just small fish as previously known for marine crocodiles.
Source: BBC
