As you can guess from the full name of this reptile--Chimaerosuchus paradoxicus, which roughly translates as "crazy mixed-up crocodile"--Chimaerasuchus has been a puzzle to paleontologists ever since its discovery (in fact, its remains were first thought to be those of a mammal-like reptile). It's clear from the flat molars in the back of this crocodile's mouth that it subsisted on plants, rather than fish, shellfish or carrion, like most other Cretaceous crocodilians. Otherwise, though, it appears to have been indistinguishable from its carnivorous crocodile cousins, though it may have reared up on its hind legs every now and then to reach tasty leaves.
Read more about prehistoric ncrocodiles like Chimaerasuchus: Crocodiles - The Ancient Cousins of the Dinosaurs
Illustration: Wikimedia Commons


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