Kaprosuchus is a reptile from the Late Cretaceous of Niger. It was named in 2009 by Paul Sereno and Hans Larsson. It was one of the many diverse crocodylomorphs that lived during the Late Cretaceous, as its enlarged teeth were unlike those of any living crocodile.
Physiology[]
Not much is known about Kaprosuchus' physiology apart from its skull; in this case, it was long and conical, its mouth had 4 pairs of large, tusk-like teeth that protruded beyond the skull, it had slightly forward-facing eyes, it had large horns atop its head. Based on the skeletal remains we have from its relatives[1], it had a bulky body, moderately long legs, and a long, laterally-flattened tail. Its body would have been covered in scaly skin, with a row of scutes running down its back.
Diet[]
Kaprosuchus was a predator, preying on preying on small theropods and smaller crocodylomorphs. Its 4 pairs of large teeth had knife-like serrations from front to back, and were used to cut into the hides of prey.
Ecology[]
Not much is known about Kaprosuchus.
In popular culture[]
Kaprosuchus was featured in the 4th and 5th seasons of the science fiction TV series Primeval, where it is depicted as a hardy, monstrous predator with a vaguely mammalian body plan. Interestingly enough, in addition to being capable on land, it is also shown to be a good swimmer, as it is able to swim through the sewers it was dumped in as a hatchling and attack unsuspecting homeless people near a dock.
References[]
- Pol, D., Nascimento, P. M., Carvalho, A. B., Riccomini, C., Pires-Domingues, R. A., & Zaher, H. (2014). A new notosuchian from the late cretaceous of Brazil and the phylogeny of advanced notosuchians. PLoS ONE, 9(4). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0093105