Ancient Giant Crocodile Had Long, Serrated Dino Teeth

A gigantic creature called Razanandrongobe sakalavae is the subject of a new research paper, and in it we learn that this beast, which prowled the land 170 million years ago, resembled a crocodile while harboring teeth not unlike the kind possessed by a T-rex. The animal, which is called 'Razana' as a sort of nickname, is the giant ancestor of simple lizards and, during its time, it feasted on dinosaurs.

What is known about the Razana comes from preserved bones. According to researchers, modern saltwater crocodiles are a relative of this extinct beast; the Razana is part of the group mesoeucrocodylians, and knowing this will help researchers expand their understanding of how it relates to crocodiles. The only existing modern crocodile of similar size is the male saltwater crocodile.

The Razana was estimated to weigh between 1700lbs and 2200lbs while measuring up to 30ft in length...and size nearly spot-on to what the modern male saltwater crocodile can reach. There were some big differences with the Razana, though, including its strong straight legs and differing skull shape. The beast's teeth were long and serrated and complemented by a strong jaw, the combination of which would have enabled it to bite through bone and thick meat.

The bone fragments from which the researchers made their determinations were found in Madagascar — it is unclear where else this creature may have roamed. Where it did exist, though, it served as a predator not to be taken lightly. According to the research paper, the Razana would have been the 'largest terrestrial carnivore from this Middle Jurassic terrestrial ecosystem.'