fossil-massive-crocodile-found-on-edge-sahara-desert

Fossil of massive crocodile found on edge of Sahara desert

By [173]Michael Casey
Published January 11, 2016
[174]FoxNews.com
[175]Facebook0 [176]Twitter0 [177]livefyre [178]Email [179]Print
Artistic rendering of Machimosaurus rex by Davide Bonadonna.

Artistic rendering of Machimosaurus rex by Davide Bonadonna.

Paleontologists have discovered the fossil remains of the
world’s biggest ocean-dwelling crocodile buried on the edge of the
Sahara, a creature that was twice the size of anything seen today.

Named Machimosaurus rex, this croc would have weighed in at
least 6,600 pounds and been around 32 feet long. Other than its size,
it would have looked much like a modern day crocodile except for its
narrow snout â€" which was designed to allow it swim in the ocean.

Related: [180]Fossils of 3 new crocodile species found in Peru

It would have been the top predator in what was then an
ocean that separated Africa from Europe about 130 million years ago.

Related Image

Reconstruction of the Machimosaurus rex body based on preserved
elements. Expand / Contract

Reconstruction of the Machimosaurus rex body based on preserved
elements. (Marco Auditore)

“This is an incredibly big crocodile. It is twice as big as
a present day marine crocodile,” University of Bologna’s Federico
Fanti, who was part of the team that made the discovery with support
from the National Geographic Society Committee for Research and
Exploration, told FoxNews.com.

“The skull itself is as big I am,” said Fanti, whose
discovery was detailed in a study in the journal Cretaceous Research.
“Just the skull is more than five feet long.
It’s a massive crocodile.”

Related Image

A panoramic view of the Touil el Mhahir locality in southern Tunisia
where Machimosaurus rex was discovered in December 2014. With a rich
and diverse fossil record, the Tataouine governorate is becoming a
pivotal area for vertebrate paleontology. Expand / Contract

A panoramic view of the Touil el Mhahir locality in southern Tunisia
where Machimosaurus rex was discovered in December 2014. With a rich
and diverse fossil record, the Tataouine governorate is becoming a
pivotal area for vertebrate paleontology. (Federico Fanti)

Related: [181]100 Million-Year-Old New Crocodile Species Found in
Thailand

Tunisia, where the skeleton and some bones were found, would have been
a
Source .... : http://www.foxnews.com/science/2016/01/11/fossil-massive-crocodile-found-on-edge-sahara-desert.html
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