Deinosuchus, an extinct reptile that once thrived on dinosaurs, was one of the largest crocodilians to have ever existed. Measuring nearly as long as a bus and boasting teeth the size of bananas, it roamed North America from 82 million to 75 million years ago.
Unlike modern alligators, Deinosuchus had a broad snout like an alligator’s but possessed a trait that set it apart: salt tolerance. This allowed it to navigate the Western Interior Seaway, which once divided North America, and inhabit coastal marshes on both sides of the ancient inland sea.
A new study, published in Communications Biology, has reevaluated Deinosuchus’ evolutionary relationships and confirmed its unique trait. By combining molecular data with morphology, researchers have pieced together a revised family tree for crocodilians that reveals Deinosuchus as an outlier among alligators.
The discovery sheds light on climate resilience in the group and suggests that some species adapted to environmental cooling while others went extinct. Deinosuchus’ massive size, coupled with its ability to tolerate salt water, made it a formidable predator that dominated marshy ecosystems.
With the help of DNA from living crocodilians, researchers have created a clearer picture of how Deinosuchus evolved and diverged from other species. The study highlights the ecological flexibility among extinct and living crocodiles and offers fresh insights into climate resilience in the group.
This discovery further supports the notion that giant crocodilians were more common than previously thought, with reports of individuals measuring up to 23 feet (7 meters) or more persisting until the 19th century. The “terror crocodile” has left behind a legacy as one of the largest and most fascinating creatures to have ever existed.
Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2025/04/23/science/terror-crocodile-dinosaur-eating-saltwater/index.html