"Talking" crocodiles that lived in South America in the Mesozoic

    During excavations in Brazil, scientists discovered a well-preserved skull of a crocodile-like creature that lived in the Cretaceous period. A number of unique anatomical features of the find indicate that this four-legged creature was able to emit complex sound signals to communicate with others.

    Many are accustomed to associate the Mesozoic era (251-66 million years ago) with lizards that walked on land. But, besides them, by the end of time, many other amazing creatures lived on Earth. When the continent of Gondwanaland broke up, crocodiles flourished in what is now South America.

    It is a relative of the modern crocodile, but it spent more time on land. Crocodylomorphs are very mobile, and their diet consisted not only of small insects, but also of fruits. Among the well-known families of reptiles, it belongs to the genus sphageaurids, characterized by jaws similar to those of mammals.

    The found skull belongs to this type of crocodiles, that is, it belongs to one of the oldest of them.