Scientists find 170-million-year-old crocodile relative with needle-thin teeth

Published in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, the research adds to scientists' understanding of the ecosystems that existed in Gondwana, the ancient southern supercontinent that included much of modern-day Africa. Sometimes a major scientific discovery starts with something barely visible. Researchers studying Moroccan fossils found tiny black circles along a long bone. Under a microscope, these markings revealed an unexpected secret: an array of exceptionally slender teeth belonging to a previously unknown crocodile relative that lived around 170 million years ago. The discovery offers a glimpse into the surprising diversity of prehistoric predators during the Jurassic Period, states a release by the University of Portsmouth.A closer look reveals a new speciesThe species, named Ctenosuchus tenuidens, was identified by researchers from the University of Portsmouth in the UK and Hassan II University of Casablanca in Morocco. It belonged to the thalattosuchians, a group of ancient reptiles related to crocodiles that occupied marine and freshwater environments during the age of the dinosaurs.Unlike modern crocodiles, which typically have robust teeth suited to gripping prey, th...