Paleontologists have recently reported that they unearthed some of the first vegetarian crocodile fossils, the bones dating over 80 million years. This kind of crocodile, named Simosuchus clarki, is one of many different crocodile subspecies. It has thick armored skin and a snout too short to be suitable for catching live prey, but perfect for munching on wild vegetation. The crocodile is a short one, only four feet long, with a short tail and a wide body, its hide covered in armored plates.
David Krause, a paleontologist with Stony Brook University, was part of the team that found the ancient crocodile, and said, “No other crocodile looks as bizarre as this one. Crocodiles evolved into a wide variety of body plans in the Age of Dinosaurs, but this one really looks unusual.” Six well preserved fossils of these strange crocodiles have been found on the island of Madagascar, the teeth of the crocodiles still intact with the skull. Several South American crocodiles over 65 million years ago also show signs of eating a vegetarian diet rather than the carnivorous way of life of today's crocodiles.
Simosuchus was first discovered in 2000, but only now is there enough fossil evidence for it to be included in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. Many paleontologists around the world are excited by this ancient discovery, some saying that this particular crocodile is an exceptional and unique creature. Its way of life can be most compared to that of an armadillo, hunkering down in forests and plains to munch on grasses. This crocodile will surely be remembered in future discoveries.
If a crocodile could once be a vegetarian, then so could some humans! Great article.
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