Mysterious Jurassic crocodile identified 250 years after fossil find

Date: September 12, 2019

Source: University of Edinburgh

A prehistoric crocodile that lived around 180 million years ago has been identified -- almost 250 years after the discovery of it fossil remains.

A fossil skull found in a Bavarian town in the 1770s has been recognised as the now-extinct species Mystriosaurus laurillardi, which lived in tropical waters during the Jurassic Period.

For the past 60 years, it was thought the animal was part of a similar species, known as Steneosaurus bollensis, which existed around the same time, researchers say.

Palaeontologists identified the animal by analysing fossils unearthed in the UK and Germany.

The team, which included scientists from the University of Edinburgh, also revealed that another skull, discovered in Yorkshire in the 1800s, belongs to Mystriosaurus laurillardi.

The marine predator -- which was more than four metres in length -- had a long snout and pointed teeth, and preyed on fish, the team says. It lived in warm seas alongside other animals including ammonites and large marine reptiles, called ichthyosaurs.

The discovery of fossils in present-day Germany and the UK shows that the species could easily swim between islands, much like modern saltwater crocodiles, researchers say.

The study, led by Naturkunde-Museum Bielefeld in Germany, is published in the journal Acta Palaeontologica Polonica, It was supported by the Palaeontographical Society, Leverhulme Trust and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.

Read on

Monstrous crocodile fossil points to early rise of ancient reptiles

Date:  October 2, 2017

Source:  University of Edinburgh

A newly identified prehistoric marine predator has shed light on the origins of the distant relatives of modern crocodiles.

The discovery reveals that an extinct group of aquatic reptiles evolved millions of years earlier than was previously thought, researchers say.

The new species was a 10-foot-long animal that lived in the warm, shallow seas that covered much of what is now Europe. Powerful jaws and big, serrated teeth allowed it to feed on large prey, such as prehistoric squid.

Palaeontologists at the University of Edinburgh discovered the new species -- which dates back 163 million years -- by studying a heavily damaged fossil which was held in the Natural History Museum's archives for almost 150 years.

The ancient reptile -- called Ieldraan melkshamensis -- has been nicknamed the Melksham Monster after the town in England where it was unearthed.

Continued  

Motorhead's 'Lemmy' has dino croc named after him

August 9, 2017

A team of music-mad scientists unveiled an extinct, sea-dwelling crocodile from the Jurassic period on Wednesday, which they named in honour of Motorhead lead singer Ian "Lemmy" Kilmister who died in 2015.

"Lemmysuchus"—Latin for Lemmy's crocodile—was about 5.8 metres (19 feet) long and had a skull of more than a metre—similar to a modern-day saltwater crocodile to which it is only distantly related.

"It would have been one of the largest coastal predators of its time," researchers from the Natural History Museum said in a statement.

"The teeth were large and blunt, perfect for crushing prey such as turtles."

Lemmy's croc was dug up at Peterborough in England in the early 20th century. But it was recently re-examined and found to have been incorrectly lumped with other sea crocodiles from the area.

Given that it belonged to a unique group, the creature "needed a new scientific name," said the statement.

"Natural History Museum curator Lorna Steel was still mourning the demise of her favourite band, and suggested that it should be named after her musical hero."

"Although Lemmy passed away at the end of 2015, we'd like to think that he would have raised a glass to Lemmysuchus, one of the nastiest sea creatures ever to have inhabited the Earth," the statement quoted Steel as saying.

Read more at:

Ancient species of ‘supercroc’ had serrated, T. Rex-like teeth

July 6, 2017

by Chuck Bednar

A giant crocodile-like creature that lived in Madagascar more than 150 million years ago had a large jaw and serrated teeth similar to those of the Tyrannosaurus rex, suggesting that it, like the predatory dinosaur, fed on bones and other hard animal tissues, a new study has revealed.

The species, whose scientific name is Razanandrongobe sakalavae (“giant lizard ancestor from Sakalava region”), had straight legs and a skull unlike those of modern-day crocodiles, according to BBC News. It is thought to be the earliest and largest member of a group of early crocodilians known as Notosuchians – a clade which lived during the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods.

In fact, in a press release, lead author Cristiano Dal Sasso from the Natural History Museum of Milan and his colleagues reported that Razanandrongobe sakalavae (Razana, for short) predates what had been the earliest-known Notosuchians by around 42 million years.

Based on the shape of the skull and an analysis of the creature’s anatomical features, Dal Sasso and his colleagues identified Razana as a relative of South American baurusuchids and sebecids, a group of predators that had deep skulls and powerful erect limbs. Razana was reportedly about 7 meters long and weighed between 800 and 1,000 kilograms (about 1,700 to 2,200 pounds).

Read more at 

Mexico authorities search for crocodile that killed and apparently ate man

10ft reptile carried off 18-year-old fishing in Chiapas reserve

If found, crocodile will be relocated to animal reserve, park or zoo

Associated Press in Mexico City

Wednesday 15 March 2017 16.47 GMT 

Environmental authorities are searching for a 10ft (3-meter) crocodile that killed and apparently ate a man in southern Mexico.

The federal environment department said on Wednesday the attack occurred on Sunday, when the victim and three friends went to the La Encrucijada reserve to fish. The 18-year-old man was carried off by the reptile, but his companions escaped.

The department said it would erect crocodile warning signs.

The department said experts and fishermen began working on Tuesday to locate crocodiles of that length in a swampy area on the Pacific coast of Chiapas state.

Experts will try to capture and empty the stomachs of the crocodiles without killing them to see if any contain human remains.

If they find the animal, it will be relocated to an animal reserve, park or zoo.

Source  

Huge 4.33-metre crocodile captured after taking livestock from NT cattle station

Northern Territory police use a cage, rope and gaffer tape to trap the reptile amid fears that it could pose a danger to people

Thursday 1 September 2016 02.45 BSTLast modified on Thursday 1 September 201604.22 BST

A huge crocodile has been captured after taking livestock from a cattle station in the Northern Territory.

Locals in the Douglas Daly region south of Darwin reported that the 4.33-metre reptile had been preying on animals and police acted amid fears that it could pose a danger to people.

 “It was causing a ruckus and was a danger to people in the area,” Matt Phillips from the NT police told the ABC.

Video released by NT police show officers assisted by the territory’s veteran crocodile catcher Tommy Nichols trapping the animal in a waterhole and then snaring its jaws with a rope.

They then haul it out of the trap and on to the land and use gaffer tape to keep the jaws closed before tying it down on the back of a trailer. It was later taken to a breeding farm in Darwin.

“It was a bit of an unorthodox extraction from the cage due the situation where it was in a water hole with limited access,” said Remote Sergeant Mark Berry. “He got a little bit away from us, but we ended up getting hold of him.”

Police said the trap would remain in the waterhole because another crocodile was still believed to be lurking in the waters. The owners of the property told police they believed it was even larger than the captured crocodile.

Source 

Bob Katter calls for crocodile shooting safaris after suspected fatal attack

Northern Queensland MPs at loggerheads after Warren Entsch said the attack in the Daintree national park was the result of ‘human stupidity’

Australian Associated Press

Monday 30 May 201622.54 BSTLast modified on Tuesday 31 May 201601.42 BST

Independent MP Bob Katter says crocodile shooting safaris should be allowed in Queensland’s far north following a suspected fatal attack.

On Tuesday police were due to resume the search for the body of Cindy Waldron, 46, who was dragged under water after entering the water late at night at Thornton beach in the Daintree national park on Sunday.

Her friend Leeann Mitchell, 47, tried in vain to drag her mate to safety and later raised the alarm. The pair were celebrating Mitchell’s recovery from cancer andthe ABC is reporting they were were walking in knee depth water.

So far an extensive search has found no trace of Waldron.

Warren Entsch, federal MP for the electorate where the attack occurred, said it was entirely avoidable.

“You can’t legislate against human stupidity. If you go in swimming at 10 o’clock at night, you’re going to get consumed,” Entsch said on Monday.

But Katter, who holds the neighbouring electorate of Kennedy, said croc numbers had reached unprecedented levels and shooting safaris could reduce the risk to humans.

“The numbers of crocodiles have exploded. All of crocodiles’ predators have been removed,” he said in a statement. “We can put nature back in balance if we have shooting safaris.”

Katter criticised Entsch’s comments.

“I can’t believe that Warren Entsch is attacking the people over this. Defending crocodiles instead of people is stupid.”

Entsch said there was no way the women could have been unaware of the risks involved in taking a late-night dip in crocodile country.

“Let’s not start vendettas. It’s hard enough for some families to make a quid up there in the Daintree, showcasing crocs in their environment,” he said.

Continued ...

NT crocodile attack: capsizing boat 'extremely unusual', says expert

Ordeal which saw one man drown and another fight off reptiles for three hours also a reminder of which boats are safe to take into crocodile-infested waters

Australian Associated Press

Wednesday 18 May 201604.52 BST

Last modified on Wednesday 18 May 201606.23 BST

  

An expert says the attack in which a crocodile overturned a boat in the Northern Territory, killing one man and a putting another through terrifying ordeal, is an extremely unusual event.

Noel Ramage, 75, drowned, leaving his 72-year-old mate to fight off crocodiles for three hours after the men’s tinny turned over at Leaders Creek, 40km fromDarwin, on Tuesday afternoon.

The survivor threw spanners and spark plugs at approaching crocodiles and was trapped in muddy mangroves before being rescued and taken to hospital suffering shock. He has been released and the body has been recovered.

Adam Britton, a researcher at Charles Darwin University, said he’d never heard of such an attack before, although the crocodile may have been attracted by the men’s crab pots. He suggested the men could have panicked, causing the boat to capsize.

Britton also said Northern Territory authorities needed to remind people which boats were safe to take out into crocodile-infested waters.

“Perhaps one of the precautions that needs to be added to that list is to be extremely cautious if you take out a small unstable tinny,” he said.

“Having said that, it is still a highly bizarre situation and extremely unlikely.

Continued ...

Crocodile victim says he’s ‘a bit sore’ after Northern Territory attack

Camper Peter Rowsell says the crocodile came through a hole in his tent, which was just 15 metres from the water’s edge

Helen Davidson in Darwin

Tuesday 26 April 201604.53 BST

A 19-year-old man says he’s “still a bit sore” after he was attacked by a crocodile while sleeping in a tent in Australia’s Northern Territory on Monday.

Peter Rowsell had been camping with family near a creek in the Daly region, about two hours’ drive from Katherine, on the Anzac Day long weekend.

Roswell told the ABC the crocodile came through a hole in his mosquito shelter tent, which was pitched just 15 metres from the water’s edge.

“It was about 4.30 in the morning and I was sleeping ... and then I woke up and there was something shaking my foot,” he said. “It was about three or four metres long.”

Rowsell said the crocodile was holding on to his leg but didn’t drag him out of the tent. “It was on my foot for like 10 or 15 seconds but it let go after I whacked it once or twice,” he said.

Rowsell’s sister and her partner – who were sleeping in the back of a ute tray – woke to his yells and drove him to hospital. He was kept in overnight and received treatment for non-life threatening puncture wounds to his right leg. He was also put on an antibiotics drip to counter the bacteria in crocodiles’ mouths.

He was doing well and was expected to go home on Tuesday afternoon, Louise Harwood, the director of medical services at Katherine hospital, told media.

Harwood said Rowsell had puncture wounds to both his feet and that his injuries were consistent with his report that a crocodile had attacked him. “It’s not really possible to say from the marks he has the size of the crocodile,” she added.

Continued ...

Crocodile caught on Townsville tourist beach is 'macho dude' with one eye and three teeth

The 4.7-metre saltwater crocodile captured near homes and parks was a ‘bit of bruiser’, say wildlife staff, and bore the scars of a lifetime fighting over territory

Australian Associated Press

Thursday 4 February 2016 03.17 GMTLast modified on Thursday 4 February 201603.37 GMT

A large crocodile caught at a tourist beach near the centre of Townsville is a “macho dude” who has one eye and three teeth, according to wildlife protection staff who caught him.

It took state environment workers hours to capture the 4.7m-long saltie – assumed to be a male due

The crocodile had been first spotted about 9km north of the city on Wednesday morning and was tracked by lifesavers and Queensland environment officers to where he was caught.

Wildlife operations manager Michael Joyce said the crocodile was probably aged over 50 and would have spent his life fighting other males for territory.

“He was described to me as a bit of a bruiser,” Joyce said. “He’s very much a macho dude who’s probably just getting a bit long in the tooth.”

Joyce said it was unusual for a crocodile of that age and size to still have all its limbs and tail.

The ageing reptile could have been moving to a new waterway or patrolling his territory when he was spotted, he said.

Continued ...

Has the Bristol crocodile turned up in Clevedon?

By The Bristol Post | Posted: July 09, 2015

REPORTS of the Bristol crocodile gripped the nation last year, when several people spotted what they believed was a beast lurking in the River Avon.

But now, police have been alerted after a scaly reptile was apparently spotted in a stream between Clevedon and Kingston Seymour.

A Clevedon resident's morning walk along Lower Strode Road was interrupted when the walker noticed an unusual shape in the stream to the side of the road.

On closer inspection, the shape looked very much like a crocodile - and the walker snapped a pic.

The walker later emailed Avon and Somerset Police - who asked for the picture to be a sent as a matter of urgency.

They said they would analyse the picture and decide how to take action.

Writing about it on a social media site the walker said: "It blinked at me."

The spotting comes after Jolyon Rea alerted the police when he saw what he was convinced was a crocodile in the River Avon under Bedminster Bridge, in February last year.

Officers searched the river but were unable to find any sign of it.

Read more: 

Bhitarkanika’s 18.5 feet long crocodile’s skeletal remains to be preserved

The skeletal remains of one of the giant size crocodiles in Bhitarkanika National Park is decided to be preserved in the interpretation centre museum of the national park, by the authorities in Kendrapara district, as it is expected to create interest among the visitors.

The carcass of the 18.5 feet long male crocodile, one of the largest crocodiles in Bhitarkanika was found last month, near a creek of the national park.

“During post mortem it was found that it had died of age-related sickness. Its body was buried near the crocodile breeding and rearing center. The skeletal remains would be later pulled together for preservation,” Range Forest Officer, Akshya Kumar Nayak said.

Continued ...

Cold weather most likely killed famous croc

April 2, 2015

Chuck Bednar for redOrbit.com – @BednarChuck

A crocodile that gained notoriety after being discovered on the Greek island of Crete last year has died, apparently from a recent cold spell, various media outlets are reporting.

Credit: Thinkstock

According to Discovery News, regional water management representative Vangelis Mamangakis confirmed that the Nile croc had been found dead on Sunday, apparently as a result of exposure to the cold. It was to be taken to the natural history museum at Heraklion for further testing.

The six-foot (two-meter) long crocodile, which has been dubbed Sifis (Cretan for Joseph), first gained notoriety after it was first discovered at an artificial lake last summer. Crowds flocked to see the creature, whose fame only grew as it managed to avoid multiple attempts to capture it.

Sifis-less

Sifis, which experts believe had been abandoned by its former owner, died eight months after it was first spotted on the island. It was discovered belly-up on the banks of a lake, and experts told The Guardian that it had apparently been dead for over a week when it was discovered.

“He… must have been dead for at least 10 days,” Petros Liberakis, a local herpetologist who was in charge of attempts to capture the crocodile, told the UK-based newspaper. “This year’s heavy winter and the fact that we had so little sunshine were almost certainly the cause.”

Sifis was named by the legions of fans he earned over the past eight months, some of whom had actually set up a Facebook page to the creature. Tourists and TV crews reportedly travelled to the island to get a first-hand look at the crocodile, which had first been spotted bathing in the sun at the lake, and the beast had captured at least 10 different attempts to capture it.

“In the end it was the cold that got him,” Mamagakis told The Guardian. “It’s sad, very sad. We never wanted this to happen, we wanted to move him out of the reservoir to a more suitable place but he just kept eluding us… He was very happy in the lake, there was a lot for him to eat there.”

Continued ...

Crocodile attack database ‘will aid conservation efforts and save lives’

Australian-founded database CrocBITE, with records of 2,700 worldwide crocodile attacks, an attempt to understand ‘human-crocodile conflict’

Oliver Milman

Tuesday 25 November 2014 01.59 GMT

An Australian-founded database that lists worldwide crocodile attacks will be used to help conservation efforts for the species and save people’s lives after securing funding.

The database, called CrocBITE, was started in 2013 by Dr Adam Britton, a researcher at Charles Darwin University, and his student Brandon Sideleau.

CrocBITE has now received $30,000 in funding through an Economic and Social Research Council Impact Acceleration award so that the database can be expanded with the help of Imperial College London.

Britton told Guardian Australia that when CrocBITE launched “on a shoestring budget” last year, it had 1,800 registered incidents logged, including fatal and non-fatal crocodile attacks. There are now around 2,700 crocodile attack records, taken from around the world.

“We realised there was no way to gather information on crocodile attacks in one place, even though these attacks are becoming more of a problem,” Britton said. “Human-crocodile conflict is a serious conservation problem and we need basic information on when and why people are being attacked.”

Continued ...

Man Pokes Crocodile In Eye To Stop Attack

 Sun, Sep 21, 2014

A "tipsy" Australian man has told how he was attacked by a crocodile - but managed to fight off the predator by poking it in the eye.

Stephen Moreen said he was bitten on the arm and was then taken under the water by the two-metre long reptile which carried out a "death roll".

The 20-year-old survivor said once he prodded the animal in the eye "he let go" and his cousin shot the creature.

The attack happened near the remote community of Peppimenarti, 313km (195 miles) southwest of Darwin in the Northern Territory, as the pair were hunting geese.

Mr Moreen admitted he did not feel the pain of the bite as he was a "little bit tipsy" and had some more beer while waiting for an ambulance to arrive.

He told the ABC: "I wasn't too worried until I saw the scars. It made me cry.

"I'm fine, I'm alive. It could have been bad. It could have got my leg. I was about waist deep (in water).

Continued ...

Crocodile And Shark Fight To Death In Australia

10:19am UK, Wednesday 06 August 2014

Tourists looked on in shock as a three-legged, 18ft saltwater crocodile fought a bull shark in a titanic face-off.

One of Australia's most famous crocodiles, Brutus, was spotted wrestling with the creature between its jaws on the banks of the Adelaide River in Kakadu National Park in the Northern Territory.

The shark appeared to be no match for the 80-year-old reptile who, despite missing a front leg and most of his teeth, had the the sea creature firmly in his grasp.

Andrew Paice was on an hour-long wildlife cruise with his family and said his seven-year-old daughter was left "awestruck".

"So were the rest of the people (on board) including the guide - he had never seen it before either and he had been there for about 30 years. He was so excited," he said.

"It was on the way back to the jetty, we went past Brutus again, he was up on the bank.

"As we were going past, we noticed that there was a fin. We thought it was a barramundi (fish) or something.

Continued ...

Crocodile found in family's shower

1 August 2014, 11:56

An Indian man got a shock when he went to take a shower - and almost stood on a huge crocodile.

Kalpesh Patel, 41, said: "At first I didn't even know if it was alive, I just stood there staring at it in my bath robe and then suddenly I saw it blink, and I turned round and ran off as fast as I could - slamming the door behind me."

He said when he had told his wife and kids not to go in the bathroom because there was a massive crocodile in there, they had not believed him at first.

But he had got neighbours at Sojitra village in the Anand district of Gujarat to also look in the bathroom and they confirmed the crocodile was there.

He said: "I have no idea how it got into the house or even why it went there, but we weren't prepared to let it out again.

"We called the police who arranged for forestry officials to capture the crocodile. The last I saw was them taking it away in a cage."

Local police said that the crocodile had been transported to a lake in the nearby Malataj village of Anand district where it had been released unharmed.

Source

Croc panic: Runaway crocodile may be behind deadly Congo plane crash

Published time: July 12, 2014 16:34

A 2010 plane crash in the Congo that killed 20 people may have been caused by passengers surging towards the flight deck to get away from an escaped crocodile, causing the plane to stall, a UK coroner's court heard.

The doomed plane was piloted by 62 year-old Danny Philemotte, who also owned the airline, and co-piloted by 39-year old Chris Wilson from Cheltenham, England.

It was en route from Kinshasa to Bandundu, when it crashed one kilometer short of the runway, killing all three crew members and 17 passengers. There was one survivor who became a crucial witness.

An inquest into the crash is taking place in Gloucester, England, near where the co-pilot came from. It found that an escaped crocodile, which managed to gnash its way out of a bag, may have caused a stampede in the cabin, causing the plane to nose dive.

First officer Chris Wilson ditched his job as a cabin crew member with a British airline and moved to the Democratic Republic of the Congo to follow his dream of becoming a pilot.

He joined the Congolese company Filair in order to clock up the 1,000 hours needed to get a commercial pilot's license.

Continued