Prehistoric Croc was Mammal-like | National Geographic

our group our research team has been

our group our research team has been working in southern Tanzania for a few

working in southern Tanzania for a few

working in southern Tanzania for a few years now and we’ve found a very

years now and we’ve found a very

years now and we’ve found a very exciting new type of crocodile this

exciting new type of crocodile this

exciting new type of crocodile this animal is very small compared to what

animal is very small compared to what

animal is very small compared to what you think of for typical crocodiles the

you think of for typical crocodiles the

you think of for typical crocodiles the skull was about three and a half inches

skull was about three and a half inches

skull was about three and a half inches in length it would easily fit in the

in length it would easily fit in the

in length it would easily fit in the palm of your hand and the the rocks in

palm of your hand and the the rocks in

palm of your hand and the the rocks in which this animal were found that are

which this animal were found that are

which this animal were found that are dated at about a hundred and five

dated at about a hundred and five

dated at about a hundred and five million years so it’s actually quite old

million years so it’s actually quite old

million years so it’s actually quite old it’s during the time of the dinosaurs

it’s during the time of the dinosaurs

it’s during the time of the dinosaurs during the Cretaceous period and what’s

during the Cretaceous period and what’s

during the Cretaceous period and what’s so special about this new crocodile its

so special about this new crocodile its

so special about this new crocodile its what the teeth look like in this and if

what the teeth look like in this and if

what the teeth look like in this and if you were to find just the tooth from

you were to find just the tooth from

you were to find just the tooth from this animal there’s no way that you

this animal there’s no way that you

this animal there’s no way that you would ever think it was a crocodile of

would ever think it was a crocodile of

would ever think it was a crocodile of any kind a couple of other interesting

any kind a couple of other interesting

any kind a couple of other interesting things about this new crocodile that

things about this new crocodile that

things about this new crocodile that once again make it stand out is that the

once again make it stand out is that the

once again make it stand out is that the nose openings the nose holes if you will

nose openings the nose holes if you will

nose openings the nose holes if you will actually were directed forward instead

actually were directed forward instead

actually were directed forward instead of up and that’s very suggestive of an

of up and that’s very suggestive of an

of up and that’s very suggestive of an animal that in fact does not live in

animal that in fact does not live in

animal that in fact does not live in water at all but was actually an animal

water at all but was actually an animal

water at all but was actually an animal it was up and living in what we call the

it was up and living in what we call the

it was up and living in what we call the terrestrial or environment or land

terrestrial or environment or land

terrestrial or environment or land living animal and one other interesting

living animal and one other interesting

living animal and one other interesting bit of anatomy about this new animal is

bit of anatomy about this new animal is

bit of anatomy about this new animal is its limbs its foreign hind limbs this

its limbs its foreign hind limbs this

its limbs its foreign hind limbs this animal had relatively long and slender

animal had relatively long and slender

animal had relatively long and slender limbs we might think about it moving

limbs we might think about it moving

limbs we might think about it moving around quite and quite an agile way

around quite and quite an agile way

around quite and quite an agile way amongst the vegetation the best

amongst the vegetation the best

amongst the vegetation the best comparison of animals that are alive

comparison of animals that are alive

comparison of animals that are alive today would be something like a standard

today would be something like a standard

today would be something like a standard house cat or you know maybe opossum you

house cat or you know maybe opossum you

house cat or you know maybe opossum you know so we’re talking an animal of about

know so we’re talking an animal of about

know so we’re talking an animal of about that body size

that body size

that body size one of the things that stands out about

one of the things that stands out about

one of the things that stands out about this crocodile is the nature of the

this crocodile is the nature of the

this crocodile is the nature of the teeth and it’s very different in a

teeth and it’s very different in a

teeth and it’s very different in a couple of ways first off it has distinct

couple of ways first off it has distinct

couple of ways first off it has distinct types of teeth instead of having a

types of teeth instead of having a

types of teeth instead of having a district basic conical tooth like you

district basic conical tooth like you

district basic conical tooth like you would see in most crocodiles here we see

would see in most crocodiles here we see

would see in most crocodiles here we see a distinct canine like – followed by a

a distinct canine like – followed by a

a distinct canine like – followed by a series of small conical teeth and

series of small conical teeth and

series of small conical teeth and towards the back of the jaw – large

towards the back of the jaw – large

towards the back of the jaw – large molar like teeth and having teeth that

molar like teeth and having teeth that

molar like teeth and having teeth that are distinctive like that along the

are distinctive like that along the

are distinctive like that along the tooth row is is something that we

tooth row is is something that we

tooth row is is something that we typically think of as a mammalian

typically think of as a mammalian

typically think of as a mammalian feature and if we consider how these

feature and if we consider how these

feature and if we consider how these teeth may have functioned you might

teeth may have functioned you might

teeth may have functioned you might consider that those large canine like

consider that those large canine like

consider that those large canine like teeth at the front of the jaw would have

teeth at the front of the jaw would have

teeth at the front of the jaw would have been used for acquiring the food the

been used for acquiring the food the

been used for acquiring the food the middle teeth are moving the the food

middle teeth are moving the the food

middle teeth are moving the the food product further back into the mouth and

product further back into the mouth and

product further back into the mouth and then those molar that’s where the

then those molar that’s where the

then those molar that’s where the business is being done in that those

business is being done in that those

business is being done in that those teeth are working together to process

teeth are working together to process

teeth are working together to process food so to place this Tanzanian

food so to place this Tanzanian

food so to place this Tanzanian crocodile into a comparative perspective

crocodile into a comparative perspective

crocodile into a comparative perspective I’ve been doing Museum work in different

I’ve been doing Museum work in different

I’ve been doing Museum work in different parts of the world different parts of

parts of the world different parts of

parts of the world different parts of the United States spent time in the

the United States spent time in the

the United States spent time in the Kenyan National Museum in Nairobi Kenya

Kenyan National Museum in Nairobi Kenya

Kenyan National Museum in Nairobi Kenya and in doing so looking at other

and in doing so looking at other

and in doing so looking at other crocodiles that have been discovered

crocodiles that have been discovered

crocodiles that have been discovered from in this case East Africa so that’s

from in this case East Africa so that’s

from in this case East Africa so that’s kind of our first point of comparison

kind of our first point of comparison

kind of our first point of comparison when we find something in Tanzania it

when we find something in Tanzania it

when we find something in Tanzania it might make sense well what did the other

might make sense well what did the other

might make sense well what did the other crocodiles that were alive at that time

crocodiles that were alive at that time

crocodiles that were alive at that time and living close by what did they look

and living close by what did they look

and living close by what did they look like are they similar are they different

like are they similar are they different

like are they similar are they different taken together we see a number of

taken together we see a number of

taken together we see a number of features in this group of small bodied

features in this group of small bodied

features in this group of small bodied terrestrial crocodiles that is land

terrestrial crocodiles that is land

terrestrial crocodiles that is land living crocodiles that is suggestive

living crocodiles that is suggestive

living crocodiles that is suggestive that they may be exploiting a niche that

that they may be exploiting a niche that

that they may be exploiting a niche that would otherwise belong to the mammals

would otherwise belong to the mammals

would otherwise belong to the mammals and we know that the mammals occupied

and we know that the mammals occupied

and we know that the mammals occupied that niche in the northern hemisphere

that niche in the northern hemisphere

that niche in the northern hemisphere small body size a diversity of different

small body size a diversity of different

small body size a diversity of different skull shapes and tooth shapes so mammals

skull shapes and tooth shapes so mammals

skull shapes and tooth shapes so mammals were doing that in the northern

were doing that in the northern

were doing that in the northern hemisphere in the southern hemisphere

hemisphere in the southern hemisphere

hemisphere in the southern hemisphere the Noto Suki and Crockett

the Noto Suki and Crockett

the Noto Suki and Crockett I seem to be diversifying in such a way

I seem to be diversifying in such a way

I seem to be diversifying in such a way that they were likely exploiting a niche

that they were likely exploiting a niche

that they were likely exploiting a niche that otherwise would be considered a

that otherwise would be considered a

that otherwise would be considered a place where familes would be very

place where familes would be very

place where familes would be very successful