Sarcosuchus
Sarcosuchus imperator
Sarcosuchus shows that large crocodile relatives were important predators in Cretaceous rivers alongside dinosaurs.
Image: Shadowgate from Novara, ITALY · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
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Characteristics
- Scientific name
- Sarcosuchus imperator
- Period
- Early Cretaceous (Aptian)
- Lived
- 112–110 Ma (112 million years ago)
- Diet
- Carnivore
- Habitat
- Freshwater, Swamp
- Length (estimate)
- 9 m
- Mass (estimate)
- 3,500 kg
Description
Sarcosuchus was a giant crocodile relative with a long, narrow snout and a bony armour covering on its back. A swelling on the snout may have played a role in sound or recognition, but its function is uncertain. It lived in freshwater and probably caught fish and land animals that came to the riverbank. Frequently cited lengths are estimates based on partial skeletons.
Habitat
Large rivers and swamps of North Africa.
Fossil sites
Gadoufaoua, Agadez
Elrhaz Formation
Contemporaries in the database
Sources: Sarcosuchus