A Brazilian scientist has identified fossils of a small crocodile-like reptile that lived during the Triassic Period several million years before the first dinosaurs.
The fossils of the predator, called Parvosuchus aurelioi, include a complete skull, 11 vertebrae, the pelvis and some limb bones, according to paleontologist Rodrigo Muller of the Federal University of Santa Maria in Rio Grande state, author of the research published on Thursday the journal Scientific Reports.
Parvosuchus, which lived about 237 million years ago, walked on four legs and was about three feet (one meter) long, preying on smaller reptiles. The fossils were unearthed in southern Brazil. Parvosuchus, which means "small crocodile," belonged to an extinct family of reptiles called the Gracilisuchidae that until now was known only from Argentina and China.
"The Gracilisuchidae are very rare organisms in the fossil world," Muller told Reuters. "This group is particularly interesting because they lived just before the dawn of the dinosaurs. The first dinosaurs lived 230 million years ago."
Parvosuchus was a terrestrial predator. Gracilisuchidae represents one of the earliest branches of a lineage known as Pseudosuchia that later included the crocodile branch.
Parvosuchus lived at a time of evolutionary innovation in the aftermath of Earth's worst mass extinction 252 million years ago, with multiple groups of reptiles competing before dinosaurs eventually became dominant. The last undisputed members of the Gracilisuchidae died out about seven million years before the first dinosaurs.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Featured Video Of The Day
Revisiting Kargil At 25: The Story Of Captain Vijyant Thapar
World Snake Day 2024: Date, Theme And Importance Of Snakes Vinicius-less Brazil Lose To 10-Man Uruguay On Penalties In Copa America Quarter-Finals Ex-Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro Accused In Saudi Jewel Scandal 25,000 Aspirants For Airport Jobs Paying Rs 22,000: A Mumbai Stampede Scare Puja Khedkar's Disability Document Has Factory Address, Ration Card Proof "Back To Square One": Arvind Kejriwal's Lawyer Seeks Bail, Slams CBI Arrest JoSAA Counselling 2024: All You Need To Know About NIT+System US Singer's "Rehab" Post After "Drunk" Performance Of National Anthem Suzuki Announces Technology Strategy For The Next 10 Years Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.