A study finds new facts about a tiny species of prehistoric croc.
says that the analysis of the species’ skull reveals novel findings about its size, shape and stomping grounds.Though there are only two snaggle-toothed species — the saltwater crocodile and the freshwater crocodile — in Australia today,once ruled over Queensland. In fact, these species came in a variety of sizes and shapes and settled in a variety of niches outside of the traditional swamps and marshlands.
"If we could travel back in time to North Queensland 13 million years ago, not only would you need to watch out for crocodiles at the water’s edge, but you’d also have to make sure you didn’t step on them in the forest," says Steve Salisbury, a senior study author and paleontology professor at the University of Queensland, in aAiming to uncover new information about these ancient crocs, Salisbury and a team turned to a small species known asKnown only from its fossilized skull, this...
"This was a truly unique looking croc, with a short snout and three distinct ridges on the top of its skull," says Jorgo Ristevski, a primary study author and paleontology researcher at the University of Queensland, in a press release.remained less than four pounds and three feet long throughout its adult life, a size "which was very small compared to most present-day crocs," Ristevski says in a press release.
Moreover, the team’s analysis showed that the species’ skull was also uniquely shaped, indicating that"I digitally reconstructed the brain cavity of [and found that it resembles that of some distantly related and potentially terrestrial extinct crocs from Africa and South America," Ristevski says in a press release. "This may indicate that [Ultimately, the researchers say that their findings provide insight into ancient crocodile anatomy and activity.
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