Temporal range: Late Hauterivian-Early Albian ~133–112 Ma
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S. imperator, Muséum national d'histoire naturelle, Paris
Scientific classification
Domain:
Eukaryota
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Chordata
Class:
Reptilia
Clade:
Archosauria
Clade:
Pseudosuchia
Clade:
Crocodylomorpha
Clade:
Crocodyliformes
Family:
†Pholidosauridae
Genus:
†Sarcosuchus Broin & Taquet, 1966
Type species
†Sarcosuchus imperator
Broin & Taquet, 1966
Other species
†S. hartti (Marsh, 1869) (originally Crocodylus)
Sarcosuchus (/ˌsɑːrkoʊˈsuːkəs/; lit.'flesh crocodile') is an extinct genus of crocodyliform and distant relative of living crocodilians that lived during the Early Cretaceous, from the late Hauterivian to the late Cenomanian, 133 to 93 million years ago of what are now North Africa and South America. The genus name comes from the Greek σάρξ (sarx) meaning flesh and σοῦχος (souchus) meaning crocodile. It was one of the largest pseudosuchians, with the largest specimen of S. imperator reaching approximately 9–9.5 metres (29.5–31.2 ft) long and weighing up to 3.45–4.3 metric tons (3.80–4.74 short tons). It is known from two species; S. imperator from the early Albian Elrhaz Formation of Niger, and S. hartti from the Late Hauterivian of northeastern Brazil. Other material is known from Morocco and Tunisia and possibly Libya and Mali.
The first remains were discovered during several expeditions led by the French paleontologist Albert-Félix de Lapparent, spanning from 1946 to 1959, in the Sahara. These remains were fragments of the skull, vertebrae, teeth, and scutes. In 1964, an almost complete skull was found in Niger by the French CEA, but it was not until 1997 and 2000 that most of its anatomy became known to science, when an expedition led by the American paleontologist Paul Sereno discovered six new specimens, including one with about half the skeleton intact and most of the spine.
Sarcosuchus (/ˌsɑːrkoʊˈsuːkəs/; lit. 'flesh crocodile') is an extinct genus of crocodyliform and distant relative of living crocodilians that lived during...
Three other extinct crocodyliformes, Sarcosuchus, Deinosuchus, and Rhamphosuchus had similar body sizes. Sarcosuchus and Deinosuchus had similar proportions...
became extinct during the Late Turonian stage of the Late Cretaceous. Sarcosuchus is one of the best known pholidosaurs. It is believed to have attained...
E.; Sidor, C. A.; Gado, B.; Gado, B (2001). "The giant crocodyliform Sarcosuchus from the Cretaceous of Africa" (PDF). Science. 294 (5546): 1516–1519...
Tyra the Tyrannosaurus Stephen Baldwin as Surly the Sarcosuchus William Baldwin as Sarco the Sarcosuchus Rob Schneider as Dodger Dee Bradley Baker as Dinosaur...
the museum's digital collections inaccurately list it as a specimen of Sarcosuchus hartti (a pholidosaurid crocodyliform). In 2024, Bandeira et al. described...
widely publicized discoveries is that of a nearly complete specimen of Sarcosuchus imperator — popularly known as SuperCroc — at Gadoufaoua in the Tenere...
Crocodylomorphs were abundant; represented by the giant pholidosaur species Sarcosuchus imperator, as well as small notosuchians like Anatosuchus minor, Araripesuchus...
Niger known for its extensive fossil graveyard. It is where remains of Sarcosuchus imperator, popularly known as SuperCroc, were found (by Paul Sereno in...
about 55 cm long in Knoetschkesuchus to much larger dimensions, as in Sarcosuchus. Most crocodylomorphs were carnivores, but many lineages evolved to be...
crocodyliforms such as Purussaurus, Gryposuchus, Rhamphosuchus, Euthecodon, and Sarcosuchus may have equaled or exceeded it in size. In 1954, Edwin H. Colbert and...
Ligabue offered to donate the nearly complete specimen and a skull of Sarcosuchus to the Municipality of Venice, which accepted the offer and subsequently...
studied to that point.: 480 In October, the discovery of a prehistoric Sarcosuchus skeleton was announced after digging began the previous year.: 125 Archaeological...
long. Some extinct pholidosaurids reached giant sizes. In the past, the Sarcosuchus imperator was believed to be the largest crocodylomorph, with initial...
Larson, H.C.E.; Sidor, C.A.; Gado, B. (2001). "The giant crocodyliform Sarcosuchus from the Cretaceous of Africa" (PDF). Science. 294 (5546): 1516–1519...
The Great Longneck Migration fighting an Apatosaurus. A Bellydragger (Sarcosuchus) appeared in The Land Before Time X: The Great Longneck Migration. A...
up to 10.6 m (35 ft) and 8.5 t (19,000 lb). Relative of crocodilians, Sarcosuchus imperator of the early Cretaceous was found in the Sahara desert and...
Larsson, H. C. E.; Sidor, C. A.; Gado, B. (2001). "The giant crocodyliform Sarcosuchus from the Cretaceous of Africa" (PDF). Science. 294 (5546): 1516–1519...
Keepers (USARK) to offer his expertise. "National Geographic SuperCroc--Sarcosuchus imperator, photos, maps, bios, tour information". National Geographic...
Agadez Region consists of well-preserved skeletons over a wide area. Sarcosuchus imperator Ouranosaurus nigeriensis Afrovenator abakensis Suchomimus tenerensis...
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