Date: May 11, 2018
Source: University of Edinburgh
A 180-million-year-old fossil has
shed light on how some ancient crocodiles evolved into dolphin-like animals.
The specimen -- featuring a large
portion of backbone -- represents a missing link in the family tree of
crocodiles, and was one of the largest coastal predators of the Jurassic
Period, researchers say.
The newly discovered species was
nearly five metres long and had large, pointed teeth for grasping prey. It also
shared key body features seen in two distinct families of prehistoric
crocodiles, the team says.
Some Jurassic-era crocodiles had
bony armour on their backs and bellies, and limbs adapted for walking on land.
Another group had tail fins and flippers but did not have armour.
The new species was heavily
armoured but also had a tail fin, suggesting it is a missing link between the
two groups, researchers say.
It has been named Magyarosuchus
fitosi in honour of the amateur collector who discovered it, Attila Fitos.
The fossil -- unearthed on a
mountain range in north-west Hungary in 1996 and stored in a museum in Budapest
-- was examined by a team of palaeontologists, including a researcher from the
University of Edinburgh.
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