Chasmatosuchus
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| Chasmatosuchus Fossil range: Early Triassic |
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Chasmatosuchus rossicus |
Chasmatosuchus was a large archosauriform reptile from the early Triassic period of South Africa and China. It is one of the earliest well-known archosauriforms. It was over 6ft (2m) long and is thought to have behaved like a modern crocodile. Its mouth had two distinct features: the top of its jaw hooked downwards to aid in holding prey, and the upper palate was lined with a row of teeth--a primitive feature lost in later archosaurs.
