Yale paleontologists have identified a previously unknown species of early crocodile relative from a fossil collected at Ghost Ranch in northern New Mexico, according to ScienceDaily. The animal lived about 210 million years ago during the late Triassic.
The newly named species, Eosphorosuchus lacrimosa, was found in the same fossil block as Hesperosuchus agilis, another early croc relative. Researchers say the two animals likely lived in the same riverbank ecosystem and had different skull shapes and feeding strategies.
According to the study, Eosphorosuchus had a shorter, more reinforced skull and stronger jaw muscles, which may have helped it handle larger prey. Hesperosuchus, by contrast, had a longer, narrower snout and appears to have been better suited for a different kind of hunt.
The fossil was excavated in 1948 and spent decades in Yale’s collection before being fully analyzed. Researchers used CT imaging to examine bones still embedded in rock, which helped confirm that the specimen was distinct from known Hesperosuchus fossils.
The study, published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, adds to evidence that early crocodile relatives were already diversifying into different ecological roles long before modern crocodilians appeared.
