SuperCroc is a nickname for Sarcosuchus, an ancient crocodile measuring up to 12m and weighing up to 8 tonnes. The term also refers to a common evolutionary motif throughout history. Crocodiles are related to dinosaurs and birds, with sprawling limbs. The first SuperCroc evolved 110 million years ago, with advantages such as swimming and armor shields. Cope’s rule and favorable environments contributed to their size. SuperCrocs had enormous biting force and the largest, Rhamphosuchus, only ate fish.
“SuperCroc” is a nickname for Sarcosuchus, an ancient crocodile measuring 11-12m (37-40ft) and weighing up to 8 tonnes (8.75 tons). More generally, the term “SuperCroc” refers to a common evolutionary motif that occurs throughout evolutionary history during several distinct periods, each separated by tens or even hundreds of millions of years. Crocodiles are archosaurs, related to modern dinosaurs and birds. The main feature that distinguishes them from dinosaurs is their sprawling, rather than erect limbs.
Crocodilian ancestors originally evolved 230 million years ago from basal archosaurs shortly before the time of the dinosaurs, and the basic body plan has changed little since. Crocodiles prowl around streams and rivers, operating as ambush predators, crushing the jugular veins of vertebrate prey, dragging them into the water, and drowning them. Crocodiles also feed on fish, birds, and essentially anything else that moves. Strictly speaking, “crocodiles” include only members of Crocodilia and their immediate ancestors, but in this article the term “crocodile” is used interchangeably with crocodile, which is a broader group.
The first SuperCroc evolved about 110 million years ago, during the Early Cretaceous. Dinosaurs were huge animals and it took huge predators to bring them down. The SuperCroc pattern had several advantages: unlike dinosaurs, crocodiles could swim, lifting their massive bulk. The armor shields that cover the crocodiles provide structural support and were protected from the largest dinosaur predators by living in the water.
Another cause of the SuperCroc phenomenon was a phenomenon called Cope’s rule, whereby the size of animals in a given lineage tends to increase over evolutionary time until it reaches a maximum. The roof is generally dictated by the propensity for extinction, as large animals require more food and become extinct sooner when environmental conditions worsen. Throughout the Cretaceous, the world was a very favorable place for life, as evidenced by the climatic data of the time and the enormous size of the animals that lived then.
These animals probably also lived in nearly perfect environments, vast swamps with warm, shallow waters and abundant prey. Like modern-day crocodiles, ancient SuperCrocs had enormous biting force, some as much as 120 kilonewtons (27,000 pounds), almost as much as a T. rex. The largest SuperCroc was Rhamphosuchus, which was up to 18 m (60 ft) long, but its jaw structure actually indicates that it only ate fish.
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