Washington – A new species of crocodile fossils which researchers say is the largest and the oldest crocodile ever known has been unearthed in North Carolina. It is believed that the roughly 9-foot-long croc named Carnufex carolinensis, which signifies “Carolina butcher,” because of its threatening particularities had lived for about 231 million years.
Asked how the name“Carolina butcher,” came about, the Natural Sciences Museum paleontologistand State University of North Carolina, Lindsay Zanno,explained that the “Butcher” name would easily stick in people’s minds making it suitable for reference. It is classified under the early member of the croc lineage which is not likely to be found in today’s crocs.
Various body parts which included spinal column,the animal’s skull and the arm bonewere found by Zanno and her coworkers in a Chatham County quarry. “It was such a cool species though the size was somehow surprising but you would clearly tell that it was such a predator”. Zanno revealed. Researchers further went ahead to get a fuller picture of Carnufex‘s skull by scanning the individual bones whereby they used the latest imaging technology, a scanner with a higher resolution surface. They then converted the skull into a three – dimensional model to fill out the missing parts.
The animal lived near other reinforced plant-eating reptiles commonly known as aetosaurs, are warm blooded animal and which are said to be relatives of other wild predators. It stands out amongst the most known primitive reptiles referred to as crocodylomorphs. It has so far been described as a punctual and seasoned crocodylomorphs.
The fossils for this period are considered very important by scientists because they tend to give a record of the earliest appearance of crocodylomorphs. The discovery of carnufex was an indication that large-bodied crocodylomorphs which were not necessarily dinosaurs were adding the diversity of niches of the top predators.
“Somehow we knew there was a likely hood of many top performers especially at the reputedstage but not until we had discovered Carnufex.” Zanno added.