New crocodile fossil found

New crocodile fossil found



A model of a new prehistoric crocodile species
"Guarinisuchus munizi" is seen during a press
conference at National Museum of the Rio de
Janeiro Federal University in Rio de Janeiro,
Wednesday, March 26, 2008. Brazilian scientists
say they have found a new prehistoric crocodile
species that inhabited the Earth's oceans some
62 million years ago. (AP Photo/ Ricardo Moraes)

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (AP) - Pointy-nosed crocodiles may have joined sharks as the dominant predators in the world's oceans some 62 million years ago, according to Brazilian scientists who on Wednesday unveiled one of the most complete skeletons found yet of the prehistoric animals.

Scientists called it a new species, ''Guarinisuchus munizi,'' and said it sheds new light on the evolutionary history of modern crocodiles.

The fossil includes a skull, jaw bone and vertebrae, making it one of the most complete examples of marine crocodylomorphs collected so far in South America, said Alexander Kellner of the National Museum of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. He and other scientists unveiled fossils and a model of the 10-foot-long crocodile at the museum.
''It's a very rare find and it gives rise to several new theories,'' said Kellner, who co-authored an article on the find that was published Tuesday in Proceedings of The Royal Society B, a London-based peer-reviewed journal.

Guarinisuchus appears to be closely related to marine crocodylomorphs found in Africa, which supports the hypothesis that the group originated in Africa and migrated to South America before spreading into the waters off the North American coast, Kellner said.

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