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Modern crocodiles are known for their sprawling four-legged gait, but this Cretaceous crocodilian walked on two legs as it prowled prehistoric shores, as evidenced by well-preserved footprints it left behind.
This remarkable trace fossil, called Batrachopus grandis, was discovered at the Sacheon Jahye-ri tracksite in South Korea, which dates back to around 110 million to 120 million years ago. As shown by its footprints, this animal featured distinctly crocodile-like hind feet, yet it left no trace of its forelimbs or a dragging tail, leading an international team of researchers to conclude that the creature that left these tracks was a bipedal crocodilian. This research was published today in Scientific Reports.
Crocodilians, as the name suggests, refer to a diverse group of crocodile-like creatures, to which modern crocodiles and alligators are descended. The animal that left these tracks, however, was very un-crocodile-like in that it resembles bipedal theropod dinosaurs, with their long hind legs and narrow gait. Modern crocodiles, by contrast, feature short legs and leave behind wide trackways when they walk.
Continued below.
Ancient Two-Legged Crocodile Left Behind These Awesome Footprints
This remarkable trace fossil, called Batrachopus grandis, was discovered at the Sacheon Jahye-ri tracksite in South Korea, which dates back to around 110 million to 120 million years ago. As shown by its footprints, this animal featured distinctly crocodile-like hind feet, yet it left no trace of its forelimbs or a dragging tail, leading an international team of researchers to conclude that the creature that left these tracks was a bipedal crocodilian. This research was published today in Scientific Reports.
Crocodilians, as the name suggests, refer to a diverse group of crocodile-like creatures, to which modern crocodiles and alligators are descended. The animal that left these tracks, however, was very un-crocodile-like in that it resembles bipedal theropod dinosaurs, with their long hind legs and narrow gait. Modern crocodiles, by contrast, feature short legs and leave behind wide trackways when they walk.
Continued below.
Ancient Two-Legged Crocodile Left Behind These Awesome Footprints
