93 million-year-old crocodile was found with a baby dinosaur in its stomach – World News

Scientists claim the reptile is 35% preserved with its “almost complete skull” and terrifying teeth – they have now examined it in more detail using 3D scans and X-rays- optical

A 93-million-year-old crocodile has been discovered by scientists with a baby dinosaur in its belly.

It was dubbed Confractosuchus Sauroktonos, or “broken crocodile killer” by experts, and was found with the prehistoric baby in its belly.

A report to Gondwana Research believes the giant alligator has grown to about 2.5m (6-8ft) and is believed to have died in a flood.

The reptile is said to have been 35% preserved with its “almost complete skull” and its fearsome teeth.

The researchers examined it in more detail using 3D scans and X-rays

Joseph Bevitt, co-author of the study, told Indy100: “During my first scan in 2015, I spotted a bone buried in it that looked like a chicken bone with a hook on it and thought right away, it’s a dinosaur.

“The human eye has never seen it before, as it is, and is still completely encased in stone.

“The fossil remains were found in a large rock. The texture usually forms when organic matter, or crocodiles, sinks to the bottom of the river.”

Scientists believe it was preserved because the mud surrounding the creature hardened due to the presence of bacteria.

Scanning a rock found “bones of a small, chick-sized dinosaur in its intestines”, however, the species has yet to be officially identified.

Dr Bevitt said: ‘In my first scan in 2015, I found a bone buried in it that looked like a chicken bone with a hook on it and immediately thought it was a dinosaur. .

I said Australian Nuclear Science and Technology (Ansto): “3D digital scans from the Medical and Radiological Line guided the alligator’s physical preparation, which is not possible without the exact location of the bones. ”

Rock samples must be scaled to a size that X-rays can penetrate for high quality scanning.

But the results of the team’s work surprised them and gave them insight into what the reptile ate in its last meal.

This in itself was remarkable until the team discovered that inside the crocodile’s stomach was a small dinosaur.

“The results are excellent in providing a complete picture of the croc and its last meal, a partially digested juvenile dinosaur,” he said.

To confirm the dinosaur was in the crocodile’s stomach, the team analyzed tree roots and geological features among the rock fragments.

“The chemistry of the rock provided the evidence,” says Dr. Bevitt.

Scientists think the crocodile died in a flood where it was buried and died suddenly.