Strange Ancient Crocodiles Swam the Sahara

Live Science ^ | Nov 19, 2009 | LiveScience Staff

[decimon]

Paleontologist Paul Sereno and his colleagues unearthed a bizarre bunch of crocodile remains in the Sahara. The crocs sported snouts and other traits that resembled some modern-day animals and inspired nicknames, including SuperCroc (weighed 8 tons), BoarCroc (upper right), PancakeCroc (lower right), RatCroc, DogCroc and DuckCroc. Credit: Photo by Mike Hettwer, courtesy National Geographic.

From a crocodile sporting a boar-like snout to a peculiar pal with buckteeth for digging up grub, an odd-looking bunch of such reptiles dashed and swam across what is now the Sahara Desert some 100 million years ago when dinosaurs ruled.

That's the picture created by remains of three newly identified species of ancient crocs plus fossils from two species previously named.

A team led by Paul Sereno of the University of Chicago unearthed remains of the bizarre crocodiles during a series of expeditions beginning in 2000 in the Sahara.

Examination of the remains provides insights into some of the keys to such crocodiles' success, including the ability to walk upright with legs underneath their body while on land and when in the water taking on fish-like abilities.

[decimon]

Shifting sands ping.

[massgopguy]

Climate must have changed.

[dirtymac]

those damn SUV driving crocs

[2banana]

Global warming or cooling? I can't keep it straight!

[NTHockey]

Brings to mind the old story of how Paul Bunyan cut down the trees in the Sahara forest.

What you say, it’s the Sahara Desert?

NOW it’s a desert.

[Ramius]

Hmm... dragons.

[1776 Reborn]

This story is a real Crock.........

[Sacajaweau]

A crock in every pot...

[count-your-change]

These are the famous Sand Crocs who were able evolve legs strong enough to lift their bodies off the hot sand and used their long tails to store water when crossing the desert from one water source to another, according Dr. Lee T. Itghoe of the University of Rangoon reported in The Atkinsonville Cosmic Tribune of Nov. 1, 1999.*
His study was somewhat controversial when he found irrefutable evidence that the Sand Croc was a near relative of camels.

*Motor Repair Manuals, pg. 11199-400050, “Wine Making Mad Easy”.

[WVNan]

Leviathan spoken of in the ancient Book of Job?

[count-your-change]

I seem to recall that salt water crocs of great size once lived around the Mediterranean and they do fit the Leviathan description but who knows for certain?

[wildbill]

Walking upright crocs ping!

Sounds like a crock to me.

[SunkenCiv]

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	Gods Graves Glyphs	Thanks decimon. SuperCroc (weighed 8 tons), BoarCroc... PancakeCroc... RatCroc, DogCroc and DuckCroc Somehow I have to believe that McDonalds is involved. To all -- please ping me to other topics which are appropriate for the GGG list. GGG managers are SunkenCiv, StayAt HomeMother, and Ernest_at_the_Beach
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[colorado tanker]

Foreign Legion crocs? Beau Croc?

[Lockbar]

LOL

[Fred Nerks]

SUPERCROC FOSSIL - DISCOVERED CLOSE TO SURFACE.

EGYPT - WHALE FOSSIL, CLOSE TO SURFACE.

DINOSAUR FOSSIL - NIGER DESERT.

[SunkenCiv]

Never smile... ;’)

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks! I’m a little scared now...

[Fred Nerks]

Ten thousand years old human remains, fish hooks, harpoons found in desert:

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/08/080814-sereno-sahara-missions.html

“...Called Gobero, the area is a uniquely preserved record of human habitation and burials from the Kiffian (7700 to 6200 B.C.) and the Tenerian (5200 to 2500 B.C.) cultures, says a new study led by Sereno of the University of Chicago.

The “watershed” find also offers a new window into how these tribes lived and buried their dead during the extreme Holocene period, when a grassy Sahara dried up in the world’s largest desert...

See Video.