Ancient Crocodile Ancestor Took the Place of Dinosaurs in North America

A terrifying species may have been the top predator before the dinosaurs. Scientists have found that a crocodilian ancestor may have filled one of North America's top predator roles before dinosaurs arrived on the continent.

In this case, the researchers recovered parts of the species' skull, spine and upper forelimb from a site in North Carolina. Called Carnufex carolinensis, or the "Carolina Butcher," the species was a 9-foot-long, land-dwelling crocodylomorph that walked on its hind legs and preyed upon smaller inhabitants of North Carolina ecosystems, such as armored reptiles and early mammal relatives.

In order to learn a bit more about the creature, the researchers scanned the individual bones with a high-resolution surface scanner. The researchers then created a 3D model of the reconstructed skull, using the more complete skulls of close relatives to fill in the missing pieces.

"Fossils from this time period are extremely important to scientists because they record the earliest appearance of crocodylomorphs and theropod dinosaurs, two groups that first evolved in the Triassic period, yet managed to survive to the present day in the form of crocodiles and birds," said Lindsay Zanno, one of the researchers, in a news release. "The discovery of Carnufex, one of the world's earliest and largest crocodylomorphs, adds new information to the push and pull of top terrestrial predators across Pangea."

The findings reveal that large-bodied crocodylomorphs and not dinosaurs were adding to the diversity of top predator niches. This, in turn, reveals a bit more about this period.

"As theropod dinosaurs started to make it big, the ancestors of modern crocs initially took on a role similar to foxes or jackals, with small, sleek bodies and long limbs," said Susan Drymala, co-author of the new study. "If you want to picture these animals, just think of a modern day fox, but with alligator skin instead of fur."

The findings are published in the journal Scientific Reports.

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