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CROC-ING HELL

Giant ancient crocodiles that walked on TWO LEGS and would tower over humans uncovered

FOSSILISED footprints found in South Korea have been attributed to an ancient 13 foot crocodile that walked on two legs.

The creepy creature is thought to have lived between 110 to 120 million years ago and left behind well-preserved reptile prints in a once swampy area.

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An artistic impression of the creature
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An artistic impression of the creatureCredit: Anthony Romilio

Researchers from South Korea, Australia and the US analysed the tracks found at the Sacheon Jahye-ri dig site.

Initially, they thought the prints had been left by a pterosaur creature that could fly and walked on two legs.

However, further analysis showed the creature had walked flat-footed and pterosaurs are widely considered to have walked on their toes.

The crocodile creature is estimated to have weighed a whopping 1,000 pounds.

These footprints could be up to 120 million years old
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These footprints could be up to 120 million years oldCredit: PA:Press Association

Its scientific name is Batrachopus grandis, an ancestor of modern day crocodiles and alligators.

Experts think it would have eaten anything it could catch in its razor sharp jaws, including dinosaurs.

Chinju National University of Education professor Kyung Soo Kim said: "Typical crocodiles walk in a squat stance and create trackways that are wide.

Kim added: "Oddly, our trackways are very narrow looking — more like a crocodile balancing on a tight-rope.

Analysis of the prints helped the researchers to know this creature was not a dinosaur but it was walking on two feet like a T-rex
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Analysis of the prints helped the researchers to know this creature was not a dinosaur but it was walking on two feet like a T-rexCredit: PA:Press Association
The footprints were found at an archaeological site in South Korea back in 2019
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The footprints were found at an archaeological site in South Korea back in 2019Credit: PA:Press Association

"When combined with the lack of any tail-drag marks, it became clear that these creatures were moving bipedally."

The creature was identified from almost 100 10-inch footprints.

They were so well preserved the researchers could see evidence of scales and toe-pads.

Kim explained: "They were moving in the same way as many dinosaurs, but the footprints were not made by dinosaurs.

Experts think the huge creatures ate dinosaurs
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Experts think the huge creatures ate dinosaursCredit: Anthony Romilio

"Dinosaurs and their bird descendants walk on their toes.

"Crocodiles walk on the flat of their feet leaving clear heel impressions, like humans do."

Crocodile fossil footprints are said to be rare in Asia so this find and subsequent analysis is extraordinary for researchers.

This study has been published in .

A timeline of life on Earth

The history of the planet in years...

  • 4.6billion years ago – the origin of Earth
  • 3.8billion years ago – first life appears on Earth
  • 2.1billion years ago – lifeforms made up of multiple cells evolve
  • 1.5billion years ago – eukaryotes, which are cells that contain a nucleus inside of their membranes, emerge
  • 550million years ago – first arthropods evolve
  • 530million years ago – first fish appear
  • 470million years ago – first land plants appear
  • 380million years ago – forests emerge on Earth
  • 370million years ago – first amphibians emerge from the water onto land
  • 320million years ago – earliest reptiles evolve
  • 230million years ago – dinosaurs evolve
  • 200million years ago – mammals appear
  • 150million years ago – earliest birds evolve
  • 130million years ago – first flowering plants
  • 100million years ago – earliest bees
  • 55million years ago – hares and rabbits appear
  • 30million years ago – first cats evolve
  • 20million years ago – great apes evolve
  • 7million years ago –first human ancestors appear
  • 2million years ago – Homo erectus appears
  • 300,000 years ago – Homo sapiens evolves
  • 50,000 years ago – Eurasia and Oceania colonised
  • 40,000 years ago – Neandethal extinction
Hunters snare saltwater crocodile before cutting it up to find severed head of missing fisherman in Indonesia

In other news, a huge tooth found South Carolina once belonged to an ancient megalodon shark.

A skeleton of a 300,000-year-old elephant with giant tusks has been unearthed in Germany.

Read More on The Sun

And, the oldest bones of modern humans ever found in Europe have been discovered in a Bulgarian cave.

What do you make of this ancient crocodile discovery? Let us know in the comments...

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