You wait years for a Musings croc post and then get get two withing a couple of months. Who’d have guessed eh? Well, none too exciting given the lack of scale bars and all since it makes it harder to appreciate just how big these are, but this is a dorsal and some osteoderms from the colossal croc Deinosuchus. The north African Sarcosuchus seems to get all the press, but this animal was of similar size and has a more typical (and thus likely more powerful) skull than the rather gharial-like Sarco. As noted, it’s hard to appreciate here, but the biggest osteoderm was about the size of my hand. This was a really serious animal.
I call the big one ‘Bitey’
Published 20/11/2011 Uncategorized 3 CommentsTags: crocodile, fossil, museum, palaeontology
3 Responses to “I call the big one ‘Bitey’”
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Dave Hone's Archosaur Musings 
So, where are these Deinosuchus bits displayed? I think the fourth floor of the AMNH had a skull (mostly, I take it, plaster) on display before the latest remodeling of the fossil halls, but I don’t think they currently have any Deinosuchus stuff on display (though, as a mammal chauvinist, I’ve never spent much time in the “everything else” hall — I mean, it’s more interesting, and often less crowded, than the two dinosaur halls, but not as thrilling as the two Dimetrodon to Mammuthus halls!).
Sorry, just noticed the Mesozoic-style vegetation in the background: this is Carnegie, isn’t it? They were part way through their big remodeling the last time i was in Pittsburgh: it’s clear from your previous Carnegie Museum posts that I’ve GOT to go back!
Yep you’re right, like the last couple of dozen posts (and the next couple of dozen in all probability) this is from the Carnegie.