Colossosuchus techniensis, a bizarre creature from the Triassic period with a hybrid appearance between dinosaurs and crocodiles, has been identified through 27 skull and jaw samples and 339 body bone fragments excavated from the Tiki Formation in India.
The publication recently released in the scientific journal Papers in Paleontology describes a surprising new genus and species of crocodile-like reptiles that roamed India approximately 235 to 208 million years ago.
It has been named Colossosuchus techniensis, belonging to a group of large ancient reptiles known as Phytosauridae, which were semi-aquatic like crocodiles and are now completely extinct.
Bone fragments of one of the 21 specimens excavated and a reconstruction image of the skeleton – (Photo: INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY)
“They form a distinct branch and represent the earliest record of endemism among phytosaur species in Gondwana,” said paleontologists Debajit Datta and Sanghamitra Ray from the Indian Institute of Technology.
Gondwana was an ancient supercontinent located in the southern hemisphere of Earth, existing alongside the northern supercontinent Laurasia, which began to break apart around 200 million years ago.
The fossil remains of Colossosuchus techniensis were found in the Tiki Formation, located within the Rewa Gondwana Basin of India. These remnants are from an entire herd of “dinosaur-crocodile hybrids” with 27 skull and jaw samples and approximately 339 other bone fragments, corresponding to at least 21 individual animals, primarily juveniles.
Portrait of Colossosuchus techniensis when it was alive on Earth – (Photo: INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY).
However, some individuals reached monstrous sizes. “The total body length of the largest specimen recovered from the bones is estimated to be over 8 meters, indicating that Colossosuchus techniensis was one of the largest known phytosaurs,” reported Sci News, quoting the study.
In addition to Colossosuchus techniensis, at least two other phytosaur species lived at the same time in different regions of India.
