Random Things About Giant Prehistoric Crocodile Relative Hunted Down Dinosaurs Millions Of Years Ago (14 items)

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  (#11) Scientists Were Surprised By Razana's Size

  Prehistoric crocodiles ranged in size from fairly small to enormous. Anatosuchus, for example, who lived 120 million years ago, was two feet long. The largest known crocodile ancestor, Sarcosuchus, was a stunning 39 feet long, earning it the nickname SuperCroc. 

  But Razana might prove even more massive than Sarcosuchus, according to scientists. Razana also predates Sarcosuchus, surprising scientists with its size. As the researchers state, Razana's discovery "documents a dramatic, somewhat unexpected, size increase in the early history of the group."
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  (#10) The Mysterious Creature Once Ruled Madagascar

  Scientists first uncovered the massive prehistoric crocodile in 2006. A team made up of French and Italian paleontologists discovered the fossils in Madagascar. For over 10 years, the scientists thought the fossils came from an Archosaur. The scientists speculated for years on whether the creature was a carnivorous dinosaur or a prehistoric crocodile. 

  The team, made up of Simone Maganuco, Cristiano Dal Sasso, and Giovanni Pasini, named the creature Razanandrongobe sakalavae.
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  (#2) It Shares An Important Similarity With T. Rex

  Razana was a dinosaur-hunting crocodile, but the species shared some surprising similarities with Tyrannosaurus rex. Both predators had serrated teeth that were quite similar, giving them an advantage when hunting. Both also shared a similarly oversized jaw filled with those teeth. 

  In fact, the scientists who uncovered Razana note that the prehistoric crocodile's teeth are "remarkably large." Razana boasted teeth "even larger than... Tyrannosaurus rex."

  Razana and T. rex never battled it out, though. Razana lived about 165 million years ago, while the T. rex didn't fully emerge until around 67 million years ago.
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  (#4) Razana Wasn't The Only Prehistoric Crocodile - But It Was One Of The Biggest

  The crocodile family had several prehistoric members, and many were significantly larger than current crocodiles and alligators. Sarcosuchus imperator, for example, grew up to 39 feet long. Purussaurus brasilensis could be 34 feet long.

  Razana was in a class of its own. While the limited fossil evidence makes it difficult to establish an exact size, scientists believe Razana was larger than Sarcosuchus.
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  (#3) Today's Crocodiles Are Slow Compared To Razana

  Crocodiles today spend a fair amount of time lying in rivers. Razana was different. Like other notosuchians, Razana primarily lived on land. And unlike today's crocodiles, Razana was designed for speed. Razana's legs didn't splay out like today's crocodiles. Instead, they went straight down from the creature's body.

  That means Razana was capable of moving much faster than crocodiles and alligators today. In fact, Razana could gallop.
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  (#7) The Find Solves The Ghost Crocodile Mystery

  For years, scientists believed the group notosuchia dated back at least to the Jurassic period. But the lack of fossil evidence meant they couldn't prove it. For that reason, notosuchia's evolutionary tree was termed a ghost lineage.

  With the discovery of Razana, scientists have now filled in the tree, demonstrating that notosuchia dates back at least 42 million years earlier than previously thought.

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