Largest Crocodile fossile discovered in Africa

Largest Crocodile Ever Lived In Africa, Crocodylus Thorbjarnarsoni Fossils Suggest

Scientists have announced the discovery of a newfound crocodile species that may have been the largest to ever roam the Earth. The colossal reptiles trolled East African waters between 4 million and 2 million years ago, and may have snacked on human ancestors, researchers said.

The largest fossil specimens recovered belong to massive crocodiles some 25 feet (7.5 meters) in length; and the ancient giants may have grown larger than 27 feet (8 meters), according to Christopher Brochu, an associate professor of geosciences at the University of Iowa.


Brochu stumbled upon the new species three years ago, while examining enormous fossils housed at the National Museum of Kenya in Nairobi. It took four men to lift the skull of one of the specimens, which were originally excavated from the Turkana Basin, an area surrounding Lake Turkana in northern Kenya.

The illustration shows the comparative sizes of ancient/modern crocodiles and ancient/modern humans (Chris Brochu / University of Iowa)

For comparison, world's largest crocodile (which weighs one ton and is 21ft long) was caught, after a three-week hunt, in a creek in the Philippines by villagers, last year:



Read the whole paper here

Why were they hunting the largest crocodile? Wouldn't it be less-stupid if they, I don't know...Left it alone.

Well, I always thought the ones in horror movies were over the top but..hmmm.. they suddenly seem to quite the size of that in your pic OPie. Well, not all horror movies are over the top then.

reply to post by Vandettas


Excellent idea - until it gets the muchies and fancies Villager tata

if you compare it with dinosaurs, it's relatively average, but that's impressive for something alive coexisting with humans, and most likely left a major impression in their minds. ogopogo or loch ness come to mind but those are worlds away.

Originally posted by Vandettas
Why were they hunting the largest crocodile? Wouldn't it be less-stupid if they, I don't know...Left it alone.

Because it was wandering into people's backyards. A huge carnivore has to eat something and it won't be lots and lots of plants..... These reports are somewhat common, people just don't make up for boredom, they are like pests in Philippines, big problem pests!

Anyway, they captured it alive and planning it to keep it in a zoo. They will eventually take good care of the animal, and made the village safer how cant that be any stupid?? Perhaps you have something against Filipinos??