Large footprint fossils were found in a reserve in Korea. It is believed to be the footprint of a prehistoric crocodile.
The discovery, published in the scientific journal Scientific Reports, was made by Professors Kyug Soo Kim, Martin G. Lockley and colleagues during an archeology near the city of Sacheon, South Korea.
Scientists have discovered hundreds of footprints 18-24cm long in a muddy sediment surrounding a lake, dating from the early Cretaceous period.
Ancient crocodile foot fossils were found (Image: Scientific Reports)
This crocodile “monster” is a completely new species, never before recorded in paleontological history and roamed the earth from 110-120 million years ago.
The archaeological team was surprised to discover that the ancestors of crocodiles moved on their hind legs like dinosaurs. Their length size can be more than 3m. Professor Lockley and colleagues named the crocodile Batrachopus grandis.
The condition of the footprints is quite good. Therefore, scientists have quite completely reconstructed the image of a crocodile more than 3m long.
The image simulates the species Batrachopus grandis compared to the size of a human (Photo: Scientific Reports).
According to Professor Lockley, fossil traces discovered in Korea are the latest evidence that ancient crocodiles can walk on two legs.
Professor Romilio said: “We hypothesized that the hind footprints would overlap or obscure the front ones, but archaeologists did not find any evidence to support this. These remains are quite intact and very valuable, they are even more beautiful than the previously preserved artifacts.”
This conclusion creates a hot debate, because not all scientists accept the explanation that the fossils belonged to crocodiles, moreover they walked on two legs like dinosaurs.
Professor Phil Manning of the University of Manchester, USA expressed skepticism about the interpretation in the report. In a recent interview with The Guardian , Mr. Phil affirmed: “In my opinion, this trace is not enough to confirm, this is a crocodile. Even if it was a crocodile, we still don’t have fossil bone evidence of it.”
Source: nguoiduatin.vn
