It was about 2 to 2.5 meters in length. It dates back to the Cretaceous period. Broken refers to the crocodile being found in a massive, shattered boulder. Early neutron imaging scans detected bones that belong to the small chicken-sized juvenile dinosaur.
But the crocodile family tree also forked about 100 million years ago, with the appearance of the enormous Sarcosuchus, which measured about 40 feet long from head to tail and weighed about 10 tons. There was also the slightly smaller Deinosuchus, which was about 30 feet long.
In North America, the oldest body fossil evidence of giant crocodiles is of Deinosuchus at about 82 million years, estimated to have been between eight to 12 metres long.
Some of them were about the size of their modern counterparts, but a few were giants. Deinosuchus, the “terror crocodile,” was an alligator that could grow to be almost 40 feet long and lurked in North America's swamps between 82 and 73 million years ago.
Crocodiles are large reptiles with scaly complexions and menacing marble-like eyes. If we were to go back in time 200 million years, we would find that the crocodile's appearance would be unchanged.
The research, published in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, found that the Deinosuchus, a lineage of the giant crocodilians from North America, grew up to 33 feet long and “was the largest carnivore in its ecosystem,” in the late Cretaceous period about 75 to 82 million years ago.
Crocodiles have cold blood
Neither of these factors was efficient during the cold and dark conditions following the Yucatan meteor impact. Crocodiles have cold-blooded metabolisms, which means they were able to live for long periods of time in severe darkness, cold, and with very little food.
They were among the biggest predators in their watery North American habitats, where they lived between 75 million and 82 million years ago. And with bodies at least 33 feet (10 meters) long, they could subdue just about any animal that wandered within reach — including dinosaurs.
Crocodiles
Well, crocodiles share a heritage with dinosaurs as part of a group known as archosaurs (“ruling reptiles”), who date back to the Early Triassic period (250 million years ago). The earliest crocodilian, meanwhile, evolved around 95 million years ago, in the Late Cretaceous period.
Another crocodilian expert, Adam Rosenblatt, told me that while the ageing process in these animals is still not fully understood, the evidence we do have "all points to the conclusion that crocodilians are not immortal and are subjected to natural ageing and death processes".
Although Deinosuchus was far larger than any modern crocodile or alligator, with the largest adults measuring 10.6 meters (35 ft) in total length, its overall appearance was fairly similar to its smaller relatives.
Cassius, the 5.48m giant holds the Guinness World Record for being the largest croc currently in captivity. Housed on Green Island in Far North Queensland, he weighs more than one tonne and is believed to be more than 110 years old. The world record was previously held by Lolong in the Philippines.
The largest species of crocodilian in the world is the estuarine or saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus), which ranges throughout the tropical regions of Asia and the Pacific, including the northern coast of Australia.
"Optimal climate conditions (such as in some places in Australia) with few cold periods make it easier for the crocs to grow larger," Groh said. Salty males tend to be much larger than females, Drumheller-Horton said, though age is a big factor in how big these beasts can grow.
Cassius, an Australian saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus), is the largest crocodile in captivity at 5.48 m (17 ft 11.75 in). The Australian saltwater crocodile is the largest and most fearsome of today's species.
Some 75 million years ago, gigantic, 33-foot-long crocodiles roamed the Earth, a new study reports. Known as Deinosuchus (Latin for "terror crocodiles"), these creatures were among the largest crocs ever in existence, researchers said.
Its body was treated with salts, oil and resins, and wrapped in multiple layers of linen. Its last meal was still in its stomach. The demand for mummified crocodiles was intense in ancient Egypt. Thousands were bred and reared in captivity to be dispatched and expertly mummified for offerings to the potent gods.
Cassius. Cassius is the world's largest captive estuarine crocodile. The title of the largest living saltwater crocodile on Earth belongs to a croc named Cassius. Cassius currently lives in a private marine park called Marineland Melanesia, off the coast of Australia.
There are exactly 13 holes on each pair of Crocs.
Whether you're looking at a pair of kids' Crocs or men's size 15 Crocs, each pair has 13 holes on the top of the shoe. But they aren't just there for aesthetics. The holes serve as ventilation and let out excess moisture to keep the shoes fresh.
Although the lion has a lot of advantages over the crocodile in terms of a fight, the crocodile would win in a fight against a lion. The crocodile is simply too large and powerful for the lion to defeat.
Croc's main weakness is consistently portrayed in most adaptations, aside from The Batman series, as being his low intellect. He typically resorts to brute force to solve most problems, allowing Batman to outmaneuver him in combat by thinking his way through the problems he faces in defeating the powerful Croc.
There are two main reasons. First, crocodiles can live for a very long time without food. Second, they lived in places that were the least affected when the asteroid hit Earth.