New Crocodile-Like Species From 250 Million Years Ago Identified [Study]

An extinct animal from 250 million years ago was identified as a new species. The reptile reportedly looked like a crocodile and probably lived like one.

Meet The Extinct Crocodile-Like Reptile Samsarasuchus pamelae

A new study discovered an ancient creature resembling a crocodile and likely lived like one. The extinct species reportedly belonged to Proterosuchidae and has been identified as Samsarasuchus pamelae.

After reexamining historical specimens and collecting several new fossils from the Panchet Formation in eastern India's geological assemblage containing rocks from the early Triassic, they could define the new species. There had previously been reports of many solitary proterosuchid bones from this deposit.

Most of the neck and trunk vertebrae are from Samsarasuchus pamelae, while scientists have also found fossils from the cranium, pelvis, limbs, and tailbone that may also be from the new species. The researchers said the animal was around 5 feet long and 1.5 feet tall.

Martin Ezcurra, a paleontologist at the Bernardino Rivadavia Museum of Natural Science in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and the study's lead author described Samsarasuchus and other proterosuchids as predatory reptiles that likely consumed other smaller animals. However, it's probable that they also consumed Lystrosaurus, a creature of comparable size and a distant ancestor of mammals.

Proterosuchids probably spent at least some of the day in shallow waters. Although it is unclear if proterosuchids were active hunters, it is possible that they ambushed animals that approached riverbanks.

Samsarasuchus resided in a river delta with little vegetation. Few animals that survived the catastrophic extinction dominated this ecosystem.

The expert went on to say that the finding of Samsarasuchus provides insight into the early evolution of the group of reptiles that later gave rise to dinosaurs, crocodiles, and pterosaurs. It has enabled them to clearly understand how and when the first diversification of these reptiles after the end-Permian mass extinction took place using contemporary scientific tools. As a result, the new information helps them better understand the effects of this catastrophic biodiversity loss and how terrestrial ecosystems bounced back.

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What Are Proterosuchids?

Proterosuchids reached lengths of more than 10 feet. They were medium-sized reptiles. They lacked the armored scutes typical of these species, yet they were thin and had long snouts like crocodiles.

These creatures, which lived between 255 and 245 million years ago, are the first representatives of the class Archosauriformes. Crocodiles, dinosaurs (including birds), and several other fully extinct reptile families are included in the latter group.

According to Ezcurra, proterosuchids were quadrupedal predators with strong limbs that protruded from the sides of the body like modern lizards do. They most likely had semi-aquatic lifestyles, and the proterosuchid anatomy is distinctive in that the snout's tip is large and depressed and has several teeth.

Proterosuchids flourished on the supercontinent Pangaea following the devastating Permian-Triassic mass extinction event. They dwelt in present-day South America, Africa, India, Australia, eastern Europe, and Asia.