rbins: This is the small Bernissart crocodile that lived alongside our famous Iguanodons!This 60cm l
rbins: This is the small Bernissart crocodile that lived alongside our famous Iguanodons!This 60cm long adult Bernissartia fagesii was CT-scanned, revealing details of the skull and teeth hidden by sediment and glue. The analysis by palaeontologists brings this species close to the root of our modern crocodilians (Eusuchia). bit.ly/CrocBernissartNew details on the teeth confirm that Bernissartia was not picky when it came to food. With its flattened rear teeth, it could crush shellfish such as freshwater snails and mussels, as well as insects and crayfish. With its sharp front teeth, it probably tore up small vertebrates like frogs and lizards. The diet corresponds to what biologists expect from small crocodiles. So, between 1878-1881 not only Iguanodons were excavated in the Bernissart coal mine, but also other members of the local ecosystem 125 million years ago: ferns, conifers, a cicada, 3000 fish, a salamander, 6 turtles and 4 crocodiles (2 species). Bernissart was swampy back then! -- source link