Study Identifies 215-Million-Year-Old Beaked Crocodile From 950 Arizona Fossils

1 articles · Updated · DOGOnews · May 27

Researchers analyzing 950 fossils from Arizona's Petrified Forest identified Sonselasuchus cedrus, a Late Triassic crocodile relative that stood about 25 inches tall and had a sharp, toothless beak.
The March 2026 study says the animal changed how it moved as it aged: juveniles likely walked on four legs, while adults developed longer, stronger hind limbs and became bipedal.
Massive eye sockets and hollow, lightweight bones suggest S. cedrus was built for vision and sprinting on land, living in lush forests rather than the riverbank ambush habitats of modern crocodiles.
At least 36 individuals were recovered from one bonebed, giving scientists a rare growth series and pointing to a drought-driven die-off around a drying watering hole shared with fish, amphibians and dinosaurs.

This ancient crocodile thrived in a greenhouse world. What can it teach us about surviving extreme climates?

How did a poodle-sized ancient crocodile learn to walk on two legs as it grew up?