Sarcosuchus

Sarcosuchus is an extinct genus of giant crocodyliforms known from Early Cretaceous freshwater deposits in Africa and South America. Its best-known species, Sarcosuchus imperator, reached several times the length of a modern crocodile.

Crocodyliformes: Crocodyliformes is the group containing living crocodilians and their extinct relatives. Sarcosuchus belongs to this broader lineage, which includes forms unlike modern crocodiles.
Sarcosuchus imperator: Sarcosuchus imperator is the best-known species of Sarcosuchus, described from Early Cretaceous fossils in Africa. This species supplies most estimates of the genus's size and anatomy.
Crocodilian skull: A crocodilian skull is a long, reinforced skull with openings and tooth-bearing jaws adapted to capturing prey. Sarcosuchus's long snout and massive skull shaped its prey capture and bite.
Deinosuchus: Deinosuchus is an extinct giant crocodylian that lived in North America during the Late Cretaceous. It was another enormous crocodile relative, but lived later and in a different continent.
Philippe Taquet: Philippe Taquet is a French paleontologist known for leading dinosaur and vertebrate fossil expeditions in Niger. His expeditions recovered key material that established Sarcosuchus as a giant crocodyliform.
Crocodylia: Crocodylia is the group containing living crocodiles, alligators, caimans, and gharials. Despite its crocodile-like appearance, Sarcosuchus lies outside this crown group.
Sarcosuchus hartti: Sarcosuchus hartti is a species named from fossil material found in Brazil. Its South American remains extend the genus's known range beyond Africa.
Crocodilian teeth: Crocodilian teeth are conical teeth that grip prey rather than chewing it into pieces. The tooth form preserved in Sarcosuchus fossils supports a grasping, swallowing style of feeding.
Purussaurus: Purussaurus is an extinct genus of giant caiman that lived in South America during the Miocene. This later giant crocodylian offers a comparison for body size and freshwater predation.
Paleontology: Paleontology is the study of ancient life through fossils and geological evidence. Sarcosuchus was reconstructed from fragmentary fossil remains interpreted through comparative anatomy.

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Crocodyliform skullBroader topic: Its long snout and enormous skull illustrate the diversity of fossil forms.