Giant Crocodile Unearthed in Virginia
12:50 am
Dr. Don Hall has relayed news of the discovery of a giant Cretaceous crocodile skeleton in Giles County, Virginia. The colossal fossil, nicknamed “Big Milkie,” appears to be a new specimen of Deinosuchus, a 37-foot long ‘gator that prowled the swamps of eastern North America towards the end of the Age of Dinosaurs. According the Dr. Hall, the skeleton is “extremely well-preserved, and over 72% of it has been uncovered so far.” In addition to the giant croc, researchers have discovered fossil plants, invertebrate body fossils and trackways, reptile tracks, and eggs from what might be a crocodile nesting site.
There aren’t many resources online regarding this discovery, but hopefully that will change as more work is completed. Until then, folks looking for a Deinosuchus fix can look for a copy of King of the Crocodylians: the Paleobiology of Deinosuchus. Or, for significantly less cost, download this PDF article from the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, which compares North American megacroc Deinosuchus with the African “Supercroc” Sarcosuchus.
[...] The armor plates, teeth, and a partial jaw of this Cretaceous crocodylian were discovered in northwest New Mexico six years ago by NMMNH&S volunteer Paul Sealey. Museum curator Dr. Spencer Lucas noticed the remains while looking through the museum’s extensive paleo-collections. Deinosuchus, a 30-foot long crocodile that lived alongside (and likely preyed upon) the last of the dinosaurs, is known from elsewhere in the United States, but this is the first record of the giant reptile from New Mexico. [...]