What could possibly make a cranky crocodylomorph more terrifying? How about one that chases you on its hind legs? New evidence from South Korea suggests that three-metre ancestors of modern-day crocodiles and alligators walked upright on their back legs. According to a research paper in the Nature Scientific Reports published today, large, well-preserved footprints from the Lower Cretaceous period (between 145 million years ago and 100.5 …
Deinosuchus, thought to be the largest crocodile relative in history, measured up to 12 metres or about 39 feet. After hunting in what is now the United States, it died out 73 million years ago.
I'm not a fan of disturbing wild life, live and let live, but I would watch those wallies who molest crocodilians --- no doubt to the latter's surprise --- wrestling these chaps for sport and glory.
If they weren't so quick, big, and bitey we would expect to have seen far more evidence of fossilised handbags.
(Yes don't quibble about the timing of them being around about 100M years before us and many dead by 75M before us) I'm sure the resident aliens would have made handbags instead).
That seems to be what happens. The Maori word for the huge flightless birds they found in Aotearoa/New Zealand Moas. Moa is the Polynesian word for chicken.
Think Fred Flintstone and his huge dino rib orders in terms of the drumsticks on those. They were not just tall they were muscular.
These discoveries are always interesting and I find it amazing how the scientists can deduce so much from footprints and some bits of fossil. Some of the more recent discoveries where evidence of feathers and so on are fantastic and show what can be done with modern techniques and equipment.
I also think it is quite scary that there are some egomaniacs out there with enough money to believe that trying to genetically engineer some of these beasts back from the dead is a good thing!
Science and money is great but science, money and stupidity is bonkers.
In a previous life I worked as a pearl diver and for a while we were based out of Cooktown FNQ (Far North Queensland). There was a legendary croc in the Endeavour River which IIRC was 20ft. long. This croc had a hatred of outboard engines, apparently it would leap out of the water and sink it's teeth into the head of your engine. As most folk had "tin tubs" which were probably about 20 ft. long I would imagine that this would have been a brown trouser moment. I'm not sure but but I think someone eventually shot it.
Why did I dive in shark and crocodile infested waters? I was young and I wanted (needed) the money.
P.S. Back in the safety of Cairns I met all sorts of people. For your amusement here are two of them.
1) An American who had a tiger proof tent and Kevlar anti-snake leggings.
2) An Aussie who relocated crocs from Aboriginal encampments. He wore shorts and had no armour at all. However he did give me this advice.
A croc can outrun you, it can possibly go at 30mph for 50 yds, somewhere around there. He told me that if you are walking along a river bank and see the crocs slide into the water they are not hiding, they are hunting you.
And the last piece of advice was this, if you don't have a gun climb a tree.
iAs a kid, I once heard my father talk about some PapuaNiuGinians he'd seen hunting river crocs. With a stone axe among other things. As they'd done so for the past 40 thousand years or more. Apparently they were getting a feed and some trade goods.
You need not doubt me that I held PNGians in very high respect after that. That's getting up close with one of the larger estaurine/riverrine predators.
I have very little doubt that PNGians would find a way to turn such bipedal croc into handbags and roast in very short order.
I watched the videos about black snakes in the Daily Mail at the bottom of the link about the 8m crocodile and that was scary. It gave me that funny visceral feeling. Give me a croc any time. Even the large python in the Queenslander child's bedroom was a worry.
This reminds me of a joke. A man was driving in the country and as he went over a bridge he saw a large group of children playing on the river bank. A large crocodile leapt out and grabbed one. Concerned, he went over to the house near the river and spoke to its occupant. Hey Missus, he said, did you know there was a crocodile in your river and it's eating your children. Cor, thanks she says. I was wondering what was happening to them.
The Register 
Biting the hand that feeds IT
Copyright. All rights reserved © 1998–2024
