This ancient monster of a croc serves as a reminder of just how wild the Earth once was…
Archaeologists unearthed the remains of a prehistoric crocodile in early 2015 that was previously unknown to science.
Scientists have dubbed this giant reptile Machimosaurus rex, and the fossils date back 130 million years.
This giant prehistoric predator was about 30 feet long and weighed in at about 3 tons, making it possibly the largest crocodilian to exist during the Jurassic period.
The fossils were discovered by researchers in Tunisia during an excavation carried out by Fererico Fanti in conjunction with the National Geographic Society.
“Machimosaurus rex had stocky, relatively short and rounded teeth,” Fanti said, “and a Machimosaurus rex massive skull capable of a remarkable bite force. It would likely have been something of an ambush predator, hanging around in shallow water hunting turtles and fishes and maybe waiting for some land animals to come a little too close to the shore.”
Based on the animal’s vertebrae, researchers believe that they could have also existed at least partly in open ocean, and would have likely been excellent divers.
Watch the video below to learn more:
