Friday, November 11, 2005

Crikey!


Scientists have discovered a 135 million-year-old skull belonging to a prehistoric ancestor of the crocodile off the coast of Argentina. According to National Geographic's Stefan Lovgren, "It had a head like a carnivorous dinosaur and a tail like a fish. With its massive jaws and serrated teeth, it preyed on other marine reptiles.... While other marine crocs fed on small fish, Dakosaurus hunted for marine reptiles and other large sea creatures, using its jagged teeth to bite and cut its prey."

The Dakosaurus was threatened by only two other species, the Stevenius Irwiniensis and the much older Paulus Hoganus.

(Illustration by DAMNFX/National Geographic 2005)

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