The ancient crocodiles that appeared in the dinosaur era have long been striking scientists not only by their size, but also by their place in the natural chain of nutrition. However, a new study has shown that giant crocodiles known as Dehnozukhs were not as closely related to modern crocodiles as previously thought. These huge predators have repeatedly filled the same ecological niche over the history of our planet.
According to a study conducted by a group under the leadership of Dr. Marton Rabi from Tubingen University, giant crocodiles evolved independently in different parts of the world. The analysis showed that several types of these crocodiles, including Sarcosuchus and Purussaurus, reached a length of more than 7 meters long, hunting huge dinosaurs that got to their wetland. These discoveries shift the idea of the evolution of ancient predators and show that the destruction of the ecosystem and excessive hunting could cause some of these species. One of the greatest discoveries of this study is not only the genetic relationships between the species, but also the size of the crocodiles themselves. Earlier, scientists believed that some species of dehonomics could reach 12 meters in length. However, new estimates have shown that their real length did not exceed 7.7 meters, which is significantly smaller than in previous calculations. Although these data do not deny the existence of even greater individuals, they change the general idea of these huge predatory reptiles. Some fossils also indicate that the Damozukhs were hunting for dinosaurs, including the remains of early relatives of tyrannosaurus, which found traces of crocodile bites. Considering this, scientists believe that these creatures not only reached considerable size, but also had incredible aggressiveness that allowed them to compete with other great predators of that time.
Despite their less striking size, unlike previous estimates, researchers have no doubt that the Deozukhs left a deep mark in the evolutionary history of crocodiles and played an important role in ecosystems that existed millions of years ago.
