"This Newly Discovered Croc Hunted Dinosaurs Before" Topic

…. the Asteroid Hit

"In prehistoric Patagonia tens of millions of years ago, a fierce reptile stalked the land. It wasn't a dinosaur—but it hunted them.

Scientists have discovered a remarkably well-preserved skeleton of a new 3.5-meter-long reptile with sharp, blade-like teeth and a skull built for crushing. It belonged to a now-extinct group of crocodile relatives called peirosaurids, and the find is reshaping what we know about top predators in South America at the end of the Cretaceous.

Scientists named the species Kostensuchus atrox, combining "Kosten," the Aonikenk word for Patagonia's fierce winds, with "atrox," the Latin word for harsh or fierce. It's the most complete fossil of its kind ever found…"

link

link

Armand

The legs are not long enough to put in the cheetah class of beasts that run at very high speeds and chase down their prey, but he looks like he could move quicker than a crocodile.

Grelber

Damn, I'll have to make sure I can run faster than Thag.

Ha!…

As this was discovered in Argentina… I asume that the local Yacaré is is his descendant… so, the Yacaré caiman (Caiman yacare) generally has a top speed on land with burst speeds capable of exceeding a human, particularly when threatened or hunting. In land they are highly efficient for short-distance, ambush-style movement.

Armand