Titanochampsa iorii, the name that includes the Titan phrase for giants in Greek mythology, was used to name the fearsome monster in São Paulo – Brazil.
According to Sci-News, this monster unearthed in the Monte Alto region of São Paulo is an ancient, giant and unknown crocodile that lived at the same time as the guardian lizards (the largest dinosaur on the planet). titanosaurus) and carnivorous abelisaurids.
Along with the aforementioned Cretaceous monsters, this giant crocodile dominated what is now Brazil between 72 and 66 million years ago.
The team led by Dr Thiago Fachini from the University of São Paulo said the monster could be up to 6m long when alive and has a very strong bite. It lives in arid to semi-arid environments, scattered with small marshes.
“Both Titanochampsa iorii’s large size and its speculated strong bite are consistent with an amphibian lifestyle, including ambush behaviour, as seen in most crocodilians today and consistent with its possible relationship with reptiles,” said Dr. Fachini.
The first fragments from its fossilized body have been found since 1987, but so far scientists have only gathered enough data to identify it as a new species and profile it.
“Given their large size and fragmentary nature, the fossilized remains of Titanochampsa iorii were initially labeled as part of the skull of a guardian lizard, ” the authors said. It was not until recently that they discovered the abnormalities and found it must be an ancient species of crocodile.
The skull still has a scab on the side of the skull, making it easier to reconstruct its “face”.
In addition to representing a hitherto little-known group of the Cretaceous of Brazil, Titanochampsa iorii contributes to a better understanding of the evolutionary aspects of crocodilians and the group it represents, which left behind humans grandchildren to this day, while other groups of ancient crocodilians of the Cretaceous period are almost extinct.
The study has just been published in the scientific journal Historical Biology.
Src: thepressagge.com
