Araripesuchus

Name meaning:

Crocodile from the Araripe

Period of life:

125–66 million years ago

Period:

Cretaceous period

Habitat:

Marine environment

Taxonomy:

Archosaurs

Countries:

Cretaceous period Araripesuchus | 3D Dinopedia

Polacanthus

Andrewsarchus

Araripesuchus (125–66 million years ago)

Araripesuchus is an extinct genus of crocodylomorphs that lived during the Cretaceous period, roughly between 125 and 66 million years ago. By that time, the supercontinent Gondwana had already begun to break apart, and members of this genus managed to spread widely across the resulting landmasses. Their fossils have been found in South America, Africa, and Madagascar—including Brazil, Argentina, Morocco, Niger, Cameroon, and other regions.

The appearance and lifestyle of these animals differed noticeably from what we associate with modern crocodiles. Araripesuchus species were primarily terrestrial and looked more like small, agile dogs than slow-moving river predators. They typically measured about a meter in length, occasionally reaching a meter and a half or slightly more. The structure of their limbs indicates they were capable of running quickly: their legs were relatively long, and their bodies were held high above the ground. An interesting detail is that juveniles had proportionally longer legs than adults, further highlighting an active, land-based lifestyle during their early growth stages.

Their skulls were no less remarkable. The snout was relatively short and narrow, forming almost half the total skull length. The eye sockets and temporal openings were large—evidence of strong jaw muscles capable of powerful bites. The external nostrils faced forward rather than upward, unlike those of modern semi-aquatic crocodiles. This “terrestrial” anatomy was poorly suited for a life spent in the water and aligns much better with an active land-dwelling predator or omnivore.

The dentition of Araripesuchus is a true anatomical mosaic. Like many other notosuchians, they exhibited heterodonty: the front teeth were simple and conical, while the back teeth were flattened, leaf-shaped, and had ridged surfaces with serrations. Wear patterns on the enamel show they could process food efficiently in the mouth—almost “chewing” it, something highly unusual for crocodilians.

Their diet is still debated among researchers. In certain species, such as Araripesuchus wegeneri, the teeth can be grouped into three functional “types”—incisor-like, canine-like, and molar-like—somewhat reminiscent of mammalian dentition. This suggests possible omnivory, including both plant matter and small animals. Some hypotheses propose that certain forms were primarily herbivorous, but most scientists believe Araripesuchus species were flexible omnivores or small predators. Based on dental variation across the genus, it is likely that different species pursued quite different feeding strategies.

Studying Araripesuchus helps scientists better understand the evolutionary history of crocodylomorphs and the remarkable diversity of their ancestors. These small, quick “land crocodiles” show that during the Cretaceous period, the group was far more varied than it is today—from nimble runners with complex chewing apparatuses to more typical semi-aquatic forms. Araripesuchus stands as a vivid reminder that the history of life on Earth is full of unexpected natural experiments and astonishing evolutionary innovations.

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