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Meet the 'Witch Croc,' a Strange Ancient Crocodile Relative With Two Legs and No Teeth That Roamed New Mexico During the Triassic
Key takeaways
- The newfound reptile, named Labrujasuchus expectatus, had a toothless beak, tiny arms and walked on two legs, according to a study published May 26 in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology.
- L. expectatus’ bones were discovered in 2006 in an approximately 212-million-year-old quarry, indicating that the creature lived during the late Triassic period.
- The newly identified genus and species resemble ostrich-like dinosaurs called ornithomimosaurs, which lived during the Cretaceous period, some 66 million to 145 million years ago.
An artistic rendering of Labrujasuchus expectatus Jorge Gonzalez / NHMLAC Dinosaur Institute Paleontologists have identified a new ancient crocodile relative, although it looked nothing like the terrifying semi-aquatic animals of today.
The newfound reptile, named Labrujasuchus expectatus, had a toothless beak, tiny arms and walked on two legs, according to a study published May 26 in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. The discovery, which researchers have long awaited, should help bridge a gap in the fossil record.
L. expectatus’ bones were discovered in 2006 in an approximately 212-million-year-old quarry, indicating that the creature lived during the late Triassic period. Paleontologists recovered leg and arm bones, parts of the spine and other remains at Ghost Ranch, New Mexico, a famous fossil site whose landscape was featured in several paintings by Georgia O’Keeffe.