Terrestrisuchus
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Terrestrisuchus Fossil range: Late Triassic |
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Terrestrisuchus ('land crocodile') is an extinct genus of crocodylomorph that was about 50 cm (1 ft 8 in) long.
Terrestrisuchus was a small, thin, lizard-like creature with long legs, bearing little to no resemblance to modern crocodiles, which are its distant relatives. It probably ran very fast, occasionally rearing up on its hind legs (though under normal circumstances, it was quadruped). Their legs were positioned directly beneath the body, meaning ancestral crocodiles such as Terrestrisuchus were cursorial and thus, their legs worked as pairs for galloping. Pseudo-galloping can be seen in modern crocs as they are known to use paired walking in rare but speed-dependent situations. Fossil evidence also shows that they were digitigrade, supporting their weight on only digits, or fingers.
