Early Crocodiles used to walk on 2 Legs:-

Wall Of Thoughts: An international research team was shocked when they discover that ancient crocodiles used to walk on their hind legs like dinosaurs.

“At one site, the footprints were initially thought to be made by a giant bipedal pterosaur walking on the mudflat, we now understand that these were bipedal crocodile prints,” Dr. Romilio said.

“The footprints measure around 24 centimetres, suggesting the track-makers had legs about the same height as human adult legs.”

University of Queensland paleontologist Dr. Anthony Romilio said the researchers first thought the similar-shaped fossilized footprints were from another ancient animals known as the pterosaurs.

“These were long animals that we estimate were over three meters in length.

“And while footprints were everywhere on the site, there were no hand prints.”

“Typical crocodile walk in a squat stance and create track-ways that are wide,” Professor Kim said.

“When combined with the lack of any tail-drag marks, it became clear that these creatures were moving bipedally.”

“They were moving in the same way as many dinosaurs, but the footprints were not made by dinosaurs.”

“Dinosaurs and their bird descendants walk on their toes.”

“Crocodiles walk on the flat of their feet leaving clear heel impressions, like humans do.”

“Fossil crocodile tracks are quite rare in Asia, so finding an abundance of nearly one hundred footprints was extraordinary,” Dr. Romilio said.

“As an animal walks, the hind feet have the potential of stepping into the impression made by the hand and ‘over-printing’ it, but we find no evidence of this at these Korean sites.

“It isn’t due to poor preservation either, because these fossils are spectacular, they even have the fine details of the toe-pads and scales on their soles preserved.”

This research has been published in Scientific Reports.

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