Scientists describe ‘panic’ with teeth ‘banana shape’


These prehistoric crocodiles got “dumped like a truck” – to borrow a quote from Cisco.

Palaeontologists are revealing new details about an ancient reptile described as the size of a city bus – growing up to 33 feet in length – and having the teeth “the shape of a banana.”

According to the study’s authors, once roaming the United States, a species of the genus Deenosuchus, which literally means “terror crocodile”. During the reign of Devensuchus between 75 and 82 million years ago, the country was divided by the Western Interior Seaway, an ocean that once covered many southern and midwestern states, as well as parts of central Canada and the eastern part of Mexico Was.

D. Hatchery and D. Rheograndensis habitat can be found to the west of the Cretaceous sea, which ranges from the American northwest to northern Mexico. Meanwhile, his East Coast brothers, d. Campameri, made his home along the Atlantic coastal plains as well as the Northeast to the Gulf.

Arkansas State University’s New York Institute of Technology College of New York Institute of Osteopathic Medicine co-authors Dr. Adam Cousset said, “Denisuchus was a giant man who must have terrorized dinosaurs who came to the water’s edge to drink.” “Until now, the whole animal was unknown. The new specimens we examined reveal a bizarre, monstrous predator with a banana shape. ”

Western interior
Illustration of North America characterized by a western interior seaway formed 100 million years ago.PLOSone.org

His findings on Cretacus crocodilian, published in the Journal of Vertebrate Palaeontology, revealed just about anything, given his brutal prophetic stature. They were also known to feed on their reptile dinosaur dinosaur cousins.

In fact, Deinosuchus are more closely related to a crocodile than a crocodile, researchers noted, but their outer skulls were unique to both creatures. He described a muzzle that is long and wide, with a bulbous nose that is not seen in other crocodile species, including other extinct species.

“There were two big holes in it. . . Is present at the tip of the muzzle in front of the nose, ”said Cosette. “These holes are unique to Dinosuchus and we do not know what they were for, research further down the line would have us hopeful in solving this mystery and we can learn more about this incredible creature.”

Although Dinosus lived with the dinosaurs, his race disappeared even before the Cretaceous – Paleogene extinction event, which eventually ended the dinosaur’s reign.

“It was a strange animal,” said co-author Christopher Brochu from the University of Iowa. “This shows that crocodile oss are not living fossils’ that have not changed since the age of dinosaurs.” They have evolved as dynamically as any other group. ”

Dinosuchus hatchery holotype specimen
Bones of Deinosuchus genus specimens. PLOSone.org
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