Meet the crocodile's 150-million-year-old 'grandad'

Reuters Videos
3 年前

This fossil is 150 million years old

and it's thought to be the 'grandfather' of current crocodiles

The species is named Burkesuchus mallingrandensis

The fossilized skeleton was found in 2014 in the mountains of southern Chile

Scientists hope the fossil will help them understand

how these reptiles went from being terrestrial to aquatic

(SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) PALAEONTOLOGIST WHO DISCOVERED BURKESUCHUS MALLINGRANDENSIS' REMAINS, FEDERICO AGNOLIN, SAYING:

"200 million years ago things were different. Crocodiles were small and they were terrestrial, they did not live in the water. As paleontologists we always want to know what the transition was between those ancient smaller crocodiles and the big modern ones that live in the water we have nowadays. We were lucky to make a fabulous discovery in Chile, in rocks aged around 150 million years old, which shows a little of this transition. This new crocodile we found is small but it has aquatic habits."