Machimosaurus was as large as a DOUBLE-DECKER BUS

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Machimosaurus was as large as a DOUBLE-DECKER BUS

Posted by sciencetech-blog on Wednesday, October 15, 2014 Label:

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A giant salt water crocodile that lived 160 million years ago was the size of a double-decker bus, scientists claim.

The terrifying creature roamed the ocean feasting on marine animals such as turtles and may even have eaten dinosaurs, according to a new study.

The fearsome prehistoric reptile measured more than 30 feet long (9 metres).

A giant salt water crocodile that lived 160 million years ago was the size of a double-decker bus, scientists claim. The terrifying creature (illustrated top) roamed the ocean feasting on marine animals and other species of Machimosaurus have been discovered (also illustrated, along with a human to show scale)

Fresh research into Machimosaurus reveals key details of how and where it lived. Experts say three different species could be found in Europe and a fourth in Ethiopia.

M. hugii was the largest at 30.4ft (9.3 metres) which is larger than the biggest Nile or saltwater crocodiles of the modern era. The biggest living captive crocodile living today measures 18ft (5.5 m).

The smallest of the prehistoric crocodiles was M. buffetauti at around 19 feet (6 metres), while M. mosae was between 20 and 26 feet (6 to 8 metres).

The African creature, M. nowackianus, is only known from a single tooth, so its body length cannot be reliably estimated.

M. hugii was the largest of of the prehistoric crocodiles at 30.4ft (9.3 metres) which is bigger than the largest Nile or saltwater crocodiles of the modern era. The biggest living captive crocodile living today measures 18ft (5.5 m) A stock image of a saltwater crocodile in Queensland, Australia, is pictured

TERRIFYING MACHIMOSAURUS

Four species of Machimosaurus lived 160 million years ago.

Three could be found in the waters around Europe and one in Africa.

The creatures ate marine animals such as turtles and even perhaps dinosaurs.

Although Machimosaurus had blunt, conical teeth and long, slender snouts, they were so large that they could almost anything they wanted.

M. hugii was the largest at 30.4ft (9.3 metres).

The smallest of the prehistoric crocodiles was M. buffetauti at around 19 feet (6 metres), while M. mosae was between 20 and 26 feet (6 to 8 metres).

The African creature, M. nowackianus, is only known from a single tooth, so its body length cannot be reliably estimated.

Each of the species evolved to hunt in different habitats, from open seas to rivers.

'M. hugii was the largest of all these species, with a body length exceeding nine metres, Dr Mark Young, of the University of Edinburgh, said.

Although Machimosaurus had blunt, concical teeth and long, slender snouts, they were so large that they could almost anything they wanted.

Bite marks inflicted by one of the beasts have even been found in the fossilised bones of a giant long-necked dinosaur.

Scientists believe Machimosaurus swam long distances in the open sea, but probably hunted near coasts, snatching any unfortunate animal that got too close.

Each of the species adapted features that enabled them to live and hunt in a range of habitats. They varied in body length, the composition of their skeleton, skull and lower jaw shape.

Machimosaurus fed on marine turtles and lived during the Late Jurassic period, either on the coast or in large rivers flowing into the sea.

M. hugii would have been well adapted for swimming in open seas while its closest cousins lived stuck close to the coast.

Although Machimosaurus had blunt, concical teeth and long, slender snouts, it was so large it could almost anything it wanted. Bite marks inflicted by the beast have even been found in the fossilised bones of a giant long-necked dinosaur. This illustration shows a Cetiosaurus oxoneoensis, which lived at around the same time

The study, published in Royal Society Open Science, analysed fossils held in museums across Europe and found they were much bigger than any living crocodile.

The evolution of Machimosaurus mirrors that of today's crocodiles, whose saltwater varieties are far bigger and suited to larger territories compared with their smaller cousins that live closer to shore or in fresh water.

From detailed analysis, the researchers were able to determine key elements of the animals' anatomy and lifestyle and concluded not all were of the same species.

Until now, scientists were unsure whether more than one species of Machimosaurus existed.

In May 2012, paleontologists from North Carolina State University shared news of the fossilised remains of a 60-million-year-old South American giant turtle (illustrated) that lived in what is now Colombia

THERE WERE GIANT TURTLES TOO! SPECIES WAS AS BIG AS A SMARTCAR

In May 2012, paleontologists from North Carolina State University shared news of the fossilised remains of a 60-million-year-old South American giant that lived in what is now Colombia.

Carbonemys cofrinii, which means 'coal turtle', was part of a group of turtles known as pelomedusoides.

The specimen's skull measures xx inches (24cm) and the shell, which was recovered nearby and is believed to belong to the same animal - measures five feet seven inches long (172cm).

The fossil was named Carbonemys because it was discovered in 2005 in a coal mine that was part of northern Colombia's Cerrejon formation.

Dr Dan Ksepka, a palaeontologist and research associate at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, believes a turtle of this size would have needed a large territory in order to obtain enough food to survive.

'It's like having one big snapping turtle living in the middle of a lake,' he said.

'That turtle survives because it has eaten all of the major competitors for resources. We found many bite-marked shells at this site that show crocodilians preyed on side-necked turtles.

'None would have bothered an adult Carbonemys, though - in fact smaller crocs would have been easy prey for this behemoth.'

Smaller relatives of Carbonemys existed alongside dinosaurs.

But the giant version appeared five million years after the dinosaurs vanished, during a period when giant varieties of many different reptiles – including Titanoboa cerrejonensis, the largest snake ever discovered – lived in this part of South America.

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