Croc on a roll

Supercrocs of the Sahara

Fossils from a number of new crocodile species, each sporting its own distinguishable physical traits, have been found in the Sahara desert.

Their remains were uncovered by one of the world's greatest fossil hunters, Dr Paul Sereno of Chicago University, who in 2001 discovered the 'supercroc': an eight-ton, 40ft monster that lived at the time of the dinosaurs.

The terrifying predators roamed the swamps, lakes and rivers of Africa hunting small dinosaurs and seeking out fish and grubs. Many of them walked ‘upright’ like land mammals, with their legs and arms tucked under their bodies rather than splayed to their sides.

The latest discoveries have been given names to highlighting their individual physical characteristics. 'Boar Croc', was a 20ft carnivore with an armoured snout and three sets of dagger shaped fangs. 'Pancake Croc', a squat fish eater with a 3ft-long pancakeflat head is thought to have rested motionless for hours, its jaws open, waiting for prey.

'Rat Croc' was a bucktoothed plant and grub eater while 'Duck Croc' had a broad, overhanging snout and lived on a diet of grubs and frogs. 'Dog Croc' ate plants and grubs, had a soft dog-like nose and is thought to have been both a good swimmer and adept at galloping across land to attack its prey.

Tests on the new findings included brain scans which showed that DuckCroc and DogCroc both had broad, spade-shaped forebrains different from those of today’s crocodiles.

“They may have had slightly more sophisticated brain function than living crocs,” said Hans Larsson, part of the team and a paleontologist from McGill University in Montreal, “because active hunting on land usually requires more brain power than merely waiting for prey to show up.”

They all lived during the Cretaceous period 145 million to 65 million years ago, when the continents were closer together and the world warmer and wetter than it is now. Researchers say their findings will help to build an understanding of how crocodilians were and remain such a successful life form.

The newly discovered creatures are featured in National Geographic magazine and will appear in a documentary ‘When Crocs Ate Dinosaurs' later this month on the National Geographic Channel.