Random Things About Giant Prehistoric Crocodile Relative Hunted Down Dinosaurs Millions Of Years Ago (14 items)

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  (#8) Razana Dominated The Jurassic Period, Once Thought To Belong To Dinosaurs

  Dinosaurs weren't the only creatures that dominated the Jurassic period. Razana was one of the most fearsome predators of the era, even preying on dinosaurs. Scientists named Razanandrongobe sakalavae for its region and ancestors. The name means "giant lizard ancestor from the Sakalava region."

  While the area of Madagascar where Razana dominated 165 million years ago today goes by the name Mahajanga, during Razana's day the geography was different. Madagascar had just broken off from Gondwana, the southern supercontinent. 
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  (#11) Scientists Were Surprised By Razana's Size

  Prehistoric crocodiles ranged in size from fairly small to enormous. Anatosuchus, for example, who lived 120 million years ago, was two feet long. The largest known crocodile ancestor, Sarcosuchus, was a stunning 39 feet long, earning it the nickname SuperCroc. 

  But Razana might prove even more massive than Sarcosuchus, according to scientists. Razana also predates Sarcosuchus, surprising scientists with its size. As the researchers state, Razana's discovery "documents a dramatic, somewhat unexpected, size increase in the early history of the group."
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  (#4) Razana Wasn't The Only Prehistoric Crocodile - But It Was One Of The Biggest

  The crocodile family had several prehistoric members, and many were significantly larger than current crocodiles and alligators. Sarcosuchus imperator, for example, grew up to 39 feet long. Purussaurus brasilensis could be 34 feet long.

  Razana was in a class of its own. While the limited fossil evidence makes it difficult to establish an exact size, scientists believe Razana was larger than Sarcosuchus.
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  (#12) Razana's Lineage Includes The Boar Crocodile And Modern Crocs

  Razana isn't a direct ancestor of modern crocodiles, but they're close cousins. The scientists who discovered Razana grouped the prehistoric crocodile with the notosuchians. That group is related to Kaprosuchus, a Late Cretaceous crocodile ancestor. 

  Kaprosuchus also goes by the name "boar crocodile," because of its large canines. Scientists trace the lineage of modern crocodiles back to both Razana and Kaprosuchus.
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  (#14) There Might Be More Prehistoric Crocodiles To Discover

  There may be an even older ancestor of Razana. In their PeerJ article, the scientists who discovered Razana note that, based on evolutionary evidence, Razana's family, the notosuchians, likely evolved around 74 million years earlier than previous fossil evidence indicated.

  Razana only predates the known fossil record by 42 million years, however. That might mean there's an even earlier ancestor of Razana waiting to be discovered.
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  (#7) The Find Solves The Ghost Crocodile Mystery

  For years, scientists believed the group notosuchia dated back at least to the Jurassic period. But the lack of fossil evidence meant they couldn't prove it. For that reason, notosuchia's evolutionary tree was termed a ghost lineage.

  With the discovery of Razana, scientists have now filled in the tree, demonstrating that notosuchia dates back at least 42 million years earlier than previously thought.

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