The skeleton of a reptile that roamed Earth 230 million years ago and crushed the bones of its prey has been found in Brazil.
The terrifying 7ft-long creature, an ancestor of the crocodile, was the “T-Rex of its time”, according to researchers.
Named dynamosuchus collisensis, it walked on four legs but used its two hind limbs to run, had powerful jaws with blade-like teeth and razor-sharp claws that ripped flesh open.
The well-preserved remains were found at Agudo in southern Brazil. Expedition leader Dr Rodrigo Muller said: “The extremely rare reptile would have been a real bonecrusher from the dawn of the dinosaur era.
“Their large teeth were adapted to eat meat. But the bite speed was low, suggesting it was also a scavenger.”
The beast’s skull is similar to that of T-Rex, which came almost 150 million years later.
Dr Muller, a biologist at Brazil’s Federal University of Santa Maria, added: “During the late Triassic, while the first dinosaurs were fighting over small prey, dynamosuchus collisensis was probably searching for carcasses or easy to catch animals, like today’s vultures and hyenas do.
“Some palaeontologists say T-Rex did the same. It also had a good sense of smell, and was probably slow. So both occupied a similar role.”
Dynamosuchus collisensis means powerful croc. Dr Muller said: “Their legs were upright, distinct from the sprawling posture of modern crocodiles.
“During fast gaits, this animal was able to run in a bipedal posture. It lived side by side with the oldest dinosaurs that are about 5ft long. Dynamosuchus was a big animal compared to those with which it was sharing the planet.”
