Skeletal illustration by Paul
C. Sereno,
Flesh illustration by Michael Skrepnick
Name: Sarcosuchus imperator
[Sar-koh-soo-kis im-peer-ay-tor]
Meaning of name: "flesh crocodile emperor"
Nickname: "SuperCroc"
Age: 110 million years
Discovery Site: Niger
When was the first evidence of Sarcosuchus
discovered?
A French paleontologist named Alfred Felix de Lapparent
found fossilized teeth and armor plates of a giant crocodile
while on several prospecting missions to the Sahara
in the 1940's and 1950's.
How much of the skeleton was found
by the 2000 Expedition to Niger?
Altogether about 50%.
How big did Sarcosuchus grow?
Based on measurements of the skulls and bones, and comparison
to recent crocs, Sarcosuchus grew to lengths
of 37-40 feet.
This is
a world record for a croc, hence, "SuperCroc!"
It is twice as long as the largest living croc on record.
How long did it take Sarcosuchus
to grow to full adult size?
Growth lines were found in cross-sections of the armor
plates--one line was laid down each year.
A plate from an individual 80% grown
had over 40 lines, so we suspect that a fully-grown
individual would be at least 50-60 years old - about
twice the longevity of living crocs.
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