Fossil may be link to crocodiles
Brazilian paleontologists said this week that they had found the fossil of a new species of prehistoric predator that represented a “missing link” to modern-day crocodiles.
The well-preserved fossil of Montealtosuchus arrudacamposi, a medium-size lizard-like predator measuring about 5 1/2 feet from head to tail, dates back about 80 million years to the late Cretaceous period.
An agile terrestrial predator, it had different habits from today’s crocodiles but was similar in form and structure, with longer limbs, scientists said.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
