Prehistoric Crocodiles Lecture Notes

Introduction

• Crocodiles are known for being fearsome predators.
• Modern crocodiles are small compared to their prehistoric counterparts.
• The lecture covers the biggest ancient crocodiles discovered so far.

Notable Prehistoric Crocodiles

1. Machimosaurus Rex

• Largest sea-dwelling crocodile.
• Discovered in the Tunisian desert, 2016
• Lived 120 million years ago.
• Size: Over 30 feet long.
• Weight: Three times modern crocodiles.

2. Aegisuchus

• Found in modern-day Morocco.
• Known as the ‘shield croc’.
• Size: 30-32 feet long.
• Weight: Approximately 2.5 tons.

3. Stomatosuchus

• Lived in late Cretaceous Egypt.
• Unique feeding strategy with toothless lower jaw & pelican-like pouch.
• Size: Up to 33 feet long.
• Weight: 2 - 2.5 tons.
• Fossils were destroyed during bombing; only photos remain.

4. Gryposuchus

• Lived during the middle to late Miocene period.
• Size: Approximately 33.3 feet long.
• Weight: About 1.9 tons.
• Extinction likely due to climatic changes.

5. Euthecodon

• Lived 1-8 million years ago around Lake Turkana.
• Long snouted, fish-eating crocodile.
• Size: 33-35 feet long.
• Weight: 3-4 tons.
• Physical resemblance to modern-day gharials, but not related.

6. Deinosuchus

• Lived in the late Cretaceous period.
• Teeth as large as bananas.
• Size: 35-39 feet long.
• Weight: 2.7 - 5.5 tons.
• Largest predator of its ecosystem, capable of hunting large dinosaurs.
• Once considered the largest croc until Sarcosuchus.

7. Rhamphosuchus

• Lived during the Miocene period.
• Size: 36 feet long.
• Weight: 3 tons.
• Unique beak-like snout.
• Fossils found in Pakistan.

8. Mourasuchus

• Lived in South America during the Miocene epoch.
• Size: Up to 39.4 feet long.
• Weight: Up to 8 tons.
• Peculiar duck-faced snout.
• Weak jaw and few teeth; scooped water to swallow prey whole.

9. Sarcosuchus

• Also known as ‘super croc’.
• Size: Approximately 41 feet long.
• Weight: More than 10 tons.
• Lived 135-112 million years ago in areas that are now the Sahara desert.
• Potentially preyed on dinosaurs.

10. Purosaurus

• Lived during the Miocene epoch in Central South America.
• Size: 39-43 feet long.
• Weight: Approximately 9 tons.
• Possibly had few predators due to its massive size.
• Each bite exerted 15,500 pounds of force.