Armadillo-like Crocodile Fossil Found in Brazil

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An ancient fossil crocodile coated in armadillo-like body armor was unveiled yesterday at an environmental museum in Brazil.

Dubbed Armadillosuchus arrudai, the newly described species of crocodile roamed the arid interior of Brazil about 90 million years ago, during the late Cretaceous period, scientists said.

It was 6.6 feet (2 meters) long, weighed about 265 pounds (120 kilograms), and had a relatively wide head with a narrow, toothy snout.

Body armor has never been "found in any other fossil or living crocodile species," Ismar de Souza Carvalho, a paleontologist at the Federal University in Rio de Janeiro, said via email.

And "the strangeness did not stop there," Thiago Marinho, a paleontologist with the Federal University, added in an email. "This crocodyliform could [chew] like mammals do, like we do."

Most modern crocs simply use their powerful jaws to clamp down on their prey. But the fossil crocodile could move its lower jaw forward and backward, using its teeth to tear into dried meat, roots, pine branches, and mollusks, Marinho said.

news.nationalgeographic.com...

Wow, wouldn't want to meet one of these late at night in the jungle.



[edit on 9-7-2009 by warrenb]

reply to post by warrenb


Now that is a wild find! I would like to see what the creature looked like with the armor on. That would be one creature I would not want to tangle with.

Thank you for posting this.

Someone must have woke up on the wrong side of the bed, cuz that thing looks mad!

S&F I never thought I would see something like this. like what kidflash2008 said,

Now that is a wild find!

im glad that thing doesn't live in the same time line as i do. Im already deathly afraid of alligators, but alligators who can walk on land, have body armor and can chew? No thanks.

Now that would be good guard dog or whatever. But can it catch a frisbee? I guess I would call it Rex.

I'd swear I 'd seen one of these one time with the reptilians.

I want one to cuddle up with at night.

I would lay my head on it side and use it for a pillow.

Waking up in the morning, I'm not so sure about.

That is a impressing new find. Makes me shudder at what else we haven't idenitified. Like T-rex and raptors weren't bad enough.