A fossil of a completely new species of prehistoric crocodile has been found in Brazil. It originated in Africa around 200 million years ago. However, this new find has led scientists to believe that the giant reptile gained from the extinction of marine dinosaurs (in this case competition) and migrated across the Atlantic.
Paleontologists found the fossilized skull in northeastern Brazil. After the mass extinction of the dinosaurs, the ancient crocodile species became, along with ancient sharks, the top of the food chain in oceanic waters. Its huge size (10 feet long), gave it a great advantage in competition for food and survival. The stratification of soil in which it was found suggests that the crocodilian began its migration some 62 million years ago. For those thinking at home and wondering how this huge migration was possible: due to the (at that point) recent breakup of Pangea, the Atlantic Ocean was much smaller.
Posted in science | Tags: africa, Brazil, Crocodile, Fossil, Paleontology, science, south america
