93-Million-Year-Old “Killer” Crocodile Discovered With a Baby Dinosaur in Its Stomach

Crocodile Eats Dinosaur

 Nuclear techniques confirm rare finding that crocodile devoured a baby dinosaur. Credit: Dr. Matt White/Australian Age of Dinosaurs

  • Advanced nuclear and synchrotron imaging has confirmed that a 93-million-year-old crocodile found in Central Queensland devoured a juvenile dinosaur based on remains found in the fossilized stomach contents
  • The discovery of fossils was made by a team from the Australian Age of Dinosaurs Museum and the University of New England who carried out the investigation with ANSTO scientists
  • Neutron and synchrotron instruments penetrated rock to reveal and reconstruct the concealed fossilized contents

Advanced nuclear and synchrotron imaging has confirmed that a 93-million-year-old crocodile found in Central Queensland devoured a juvenile dinosaur based on remains found in the fossilized stomach contents.

The discovery of the fossils in 2010 was made by the Australian Age of Dinosaurs Museum (QLD) in association with the University of New England, who are publishing their research in the journal Godwana Research.

The research was carried out by a large team led by Dr Matt White of the Australian Age of Dinosaurs Museum and the University of New England.

The crocodile Confractosuchus sauroktonos, which translates as ‘the broken crocodile dinosaur killer’ was about 2 to 2.5 meters in length. ‘Broken’ refers to the fact that the crocodile was found in a massive, shattered boulder.

Early neutron imaging scans of one rock fragment from the boulder detected bones of the small chicken-sized juvenile dinosaur in the gut, an ornithopod that has not yet been formally identified by species.

Joseph Bevitt and Matt White

Dr. Joseph Bevitt and Dr. Matt White with the sample on the Imaging and Medical beamline at ANSTO’s Australian Synchrotron. Credit: Australia’s Nuclear Science and Technology Organization (ANSTO)

Senior Instrument Scientist Dr. Joseph Bevitt explained that the dinosaur bones were entirely embedded within the dense ironstone rock and were serendipitously discovered when the sample was exposed to the penetrative power of neutrons at ANSTO.

Dingo, Australia’s only neutron imaging instrument, can be used to produce two and three-dimensional images of a solid object and reveal concealed features within it.

“In the initial scan in 2015, I spotted a buried bone in there that looked like a chicken bone with a hook on it and thought straight away that it was a dinosaur,” explained Dr. Bevitt.

“Human eyes had never seen it previously, as it was, and still is, totally encased in rock.”

The finding led to further, high-resolution scans using Dingo and the synchrotron X-ray Imaging and Medical Beamline over a number of years.

Fossilized Crocodile Dingo Neutron Imaging Instrument

The unprepared rock samples containing the fossilised crocodile. Right: 3D images of the encased crocodile reconstructed with the Imaging and Medical Beamline, and inset, the stomach contents revealed using the Dingo neutron imaging instrument. Credit: Australia’s Nuclear Science and Technology Organization (ANSTO)

“3D digital scans from the Imaging and Medical Beamline guided the physical preparation of the crocodile, which was impossible without knowing precisely where the bones were,” said Dr. Bevitt.

Conversely, the fragile samples had to be carefully reduced to a size that synchrotron X-rays could penetrate for high-quality scanning.

“The results were outstanding in providing an entire picture of the crocodile and its last meal, a partially digested juvenile dinosaur.”

It is believed to be the first time a synchrotron beamline has been used in this way.

IMBL Instrument scientist Dr. Anton Maximenko assisted the investigative team to push up against the power limits and finetune the facility to successfully scan the large samples.

Dr. Bevitt explained that the team used the full intensity of the synchrotron X-ray beam to achieve the results on dense rock.

Together, Drs Bevitt and White did all the data processing and importantly, developed new software mechanisms for processing and merging all data sets of this fragmented crocodile. In this way, the crocodile was reconstructed as a digital, 3D jigsaw puzzle.

To confirm the dinosaur was actually in the gut of the crocodile, the team observed infilled worm tunnels, plant roots and geological features that extended between rock fragments.

“The chemistry of rock provided the evidence, said Dr Bevitt.

Investigators think it is likely that the crocodile was caught up in a megaflood event, was buried, and died suddenly.

“The fossilized remains were found in a large boulder. Concretions often form when organic matter, or say a crocodile, sinks to the bottom of a river. Because the environment is rich in minerals, within days the mud around the organism can solidify and harden because the presence of bacteria,” explained Dr Bevitt.

The specimens are now on display at the Australian Age of Dinosaurs Museum, Winton.

Reference: “Abdominal contents reveal Cretaceous crocodyliforms ate dinosaurs” by Matt A. White, Phil R. Bell, Nicolás E. Campione, Gabriele Sansalone, Tom Brougham, Joseph J.Bevitt, Ralph E. Molnar, Alex G. Cook, Stephen Wroe and David A. Elliott, 10 February 2022, Godwana Research.
DOI: 10.1016/j.gr.2022.01.016

24 Comments on "93-Million-Year-Old “Killer” Crocodile Discovered With a Baby Dinosaur in Its Stomach"

  1. There are jobs and then there are really fun jobs. I used to think I had a fun job….but I think I’d like to have these guys’ job. You can’t really call this work.

  2. Dinosaur killing dinosaur is not new news.confractosuchus is not a crocodile .modern crocodilian is not a early eusuchian it is a advance eusuchian .crocodile gator are all advance eusuchian they have more hollow bone beyond the skull the the hollow bone is not bird like or dinosaur like there is no hole .early mesoeucrocodylia lack hollow bone beyond the skull that hollow bone beyond the skull is a eusuchian feature.advance eusuchian only have 3 toe claws but 4 toes like all tetanuran dinosaur .the 3 toe claws is cliam that modern crocodilian has not change which is false most of the changes is done inside the body some changes because some modern crocodilian are only land animal that why they have more dinosaur feature most dinosaur are land animal the gharial clearly change a lot it is a crocodile.modern crocodilian does not have epipterygoid that why skull muscle switch the epipterygoid is early eusuchian feature .modern crocodilian or crocodilian that name only use for modern crocodilian but historic crocodilian is name use for dinosaur and modern crocodilian because they share unique teeth because dinosaur was primitive than modern crocodilian they name all them thecodont which mean crocodilian teeth the name archosaur is a cliam that bird came from a crocodilian animal a thecodont animal.there no evidence for that bird have there own unique teeth simular to advance lizard it’s very advance teeth it’s not close to skull like mammal gator. fish tuatara teeth are fuse to the skull.tuatara is ancestor of lizard and crocodilian early thecodont have remnants tuatara teeth the 2 rows of teeth allso call palate teeth. allso found in early dinosaur .tuatara lack gum the gum is a new technology in reptile.true crocodilian is mesoeucrocodylia a thecodont with a death roll system .only these animal spinosauridae Nile crocodile gator baryonyx spinosaurus .in thecodont dinosaur are the only thecodont with a death roll system it started in spinosauridae the first mesoeucrocodylia.all mesoeucrocodylia are specialize dinosaur killer that why they are only dinosaur alive with superior technology they can smell better hear better better bipedal superior bite force which is very important for animal surviverly.mesoeucrocodylia or other name spinosauridae is the reason why most dinosaur are not alive any more.duckbill dinosaur kill by another aquatic dinosaur a early eusuchian the same for pterosaur a very aquatic dinosaur kill by semi aquatic dinosaur spinosaurus.spinosauridae is greatest dinosaur only advance descendanted are alive today gator gharial modern crocodilian all early mesoeucrocodylia early eusuchian are death clearly winner is the gator the champ of the dinosaur.duck bill dinosaur neck is fuse at the back of the skull is like a gator likely it’ is aquatic feature in dinosaur I thought it was a death roll feature.reason why gator took over from dinosaur spinosauridae can dismemberment food better than t.rex .t.rex like most predator dinosaur lack a death roll system .like a gator t.rex could not chew but chewing is found in dinosaur a mammal feature allso found in one fossil gator type mesoeucrocodylia the gator quadrupedal ankle mesoeucrocodylia .t.rex was not a hold predator like most predator dinosaur they use serrated teeth slash and bite remove big flesh but not bone that a job for spinosauridae that bite and hold then turn on motor back they have inside movement when spinning they do not use there legs at all they can spin flying in the air they are like cats they can land on there feet falling from a building only few animal have that technology mostly long animal .this is the reason spinosauridae gator jaw are different from other dinosaur because swallow big food that is dismember by the death roll and that why neck and ribs has to change so big food has to swallow .that why report on irritator neck have same design as the gator is so important only saw it once .it’s probaly why spinosauridae has less s neck .the death roll is only design to kill bigger prey .spinosauridae and the gatormesoeucrocodylia are better design to kill bigger prey than tyrannosaur type of dinosaur.duck bill dinosaur like today dinosaur are diverse not all were very aquatic some had big osteoderm skin some had smooth skin and lack osteoderm .because spinosauridae neck rib jaw design show that it is fully form mesoeucrocodylia modern crocodilian has unique feature to them easily tell the different from other animal.allso use mesoeucrocodylia has not change thing even thou gator type land mesoeucrocodylia eyes are not on top of the skull does not have flat skull like dinosaur nose go forward like land animal they have many dinosaur feature not found in modern crocodilian better bipedal feature the same feature found in dinosaur allso has bipedal brain not found in modern crocodilian even thou modern crocodilian is bipedal too allso had binocular vision like t.rex .allso not found in modern crocodilian.one tyrannosaur had pig nose allso found fossil mesoeucrocodylia clearly gator and spinosauridae is a tyrannosaur.

  3. Serena N Devareaux | February 18, 2022 at 5:27 am | Reply

    I appreciate your website for his clarity content and increasing my vocabulary for most of the terminology is scientific. It stretches my mind to recall our progression from the Paleolithic era. Thank you

  4. 93 million year old croc.. Bwahhhahaha!!! The fact that people swallow this ridiculous garbage, shows how rare critical thought is in today’s society

    • 93million yr old croc | February 22, 2022 at 1:12 pm | Reply

      Hahahahahahaha that was my thought exactly! How in the world can anyone (especially all these scientists with PHD’s and a bunch of other acronyms behind their name) say they know for sure how old anything is? The whole dating system is so out of whack and based on nothing but assumptions which is just ridiculous.

      • First of all if you know anything about history, they can use carbon dating to find out how old something is and second of all the sheer size and genetic makeup would give away how old it was because crocodiles have evolved a lot since this time so maybe you should actually read the article.

    • Darwin=Santa Clause | February 27, 2022 at 12:33 am | Reply

      It’s funny that clowns like that British terd Gervais ridicules any “belief” about Christianity, but he believes that a rock holds every piece of history from 95 million years ago? Yeah Ricky you smrt. Also we “evolved” from frog, chimps, ?? Where are the next stages of evolution? Every ERA would have unique and new creatures. So?

  5. Crocodile are onrie cuz they got all then teeth an no tootjbrush

  6. This animal is around 4500 years old. Most likely died in a worldwide flood (see Genesis chapter 6-8 and chapters 1 and 5 to see real timeline) Things don’t die with a good appetite unless something catastrophic happens.

  7. Very interesting

  8. 93year old croc | February 22, 2022 at 1:17 pm | Reply

    93 million years old? Do these phD’s really believe this themselves? I highly doubt it. If this thing were really 93 million years old, it would be buried hundreds of feet under the earth. These “dinosaurs” are always found 10-20 feet down. It took 93 million years to only bury something 10-20 feet down? Uhhhh I don’t think so!

  9. WOW what a comospolitan response to a diversified group of people that use machines for a date. AND…have the social skills of a chimpanzee minke!

  10. Ish dausch nausch das washtinaush? Haeush daush sigh das washtinaush!!! Dausch yausch naushtinaucsh!!!

  11. My misstake early mesoeucrocodylia the won with gator ankle did have hollow bones I forgot about macelognathus the none eusuchian mesoeucrocodylia .first they thought it was a dinosaur then the ankle show up the gator ankle the ankle probaly was allways there.it’s clear suspect to have bird and dinosaur type hollow bone this animal is cover up by badit scientist because they do not want you to know gator is a dinosaur so hunt is still going on I am on a pause on this the reading got to me very slow find any thing no easy links.this hollow bone is the extreme it’s on the leg very rare in dinosaur usually on the backbones. on the leg is common in birds .macelognathus and compsognathus both have tibia bigger than the femur like birds horse cheetah a fast animal feature .because of this the fourth trochanter must be reduce but it’s not bird size or maniraptoran bird size they do not have air sac there leg femur is not fix there femur move a lot so they must have right size fourth trochanter muscle there muscle is not to stop air sac from collapsing it’s for running it’s a joke claiming spinosaurus has small legs with fourth trochanter size as t.rex like normal tetanuran dinosaur .fourth trochanter science dinosaur bird gator are the same .they think bird fourth trochanter act the same .bird maniraptoran bird have scar for fourth trochanter or none at all this is not the feature of dinosaur .and dinosaur do not have giant ankle that looks like the tibia that bird and maniraptoran bird feature .clearly spinosaurus leg was mix up with other dinosaur or juvenile scientist can tell by fourth trochanter science some how this dumb story make news as truth.dinosaur are femur runner .bird and maniraptoran bird are tibia runner.compsognathus has normal tetanuran dinosaur leg and skull it is a femur runner like macelognathus and gator .claim compsognathus is won turn into birds because the tibia is bigger than femur the legs are different .mesoeucrocodylia ankle is unique to them it is superfacial look like protosuchus .protosuchus is not close related to mesoeucrocodylia.mesoeucrocodylia came from spinosauridae.protosuchus is a primitive dinosaur that close to triceratops that lack Cingulum teeth .only advance triceratops group have Cingulum teeth these dinosaur have many sacral vertebrae like advance dinosaur a clear bipedal feature they had 4 or 5 gator only have 2 reduce sacral vertebrae is common in reptile. Spinosauridae legs is reduce when you have other tetanuran dinosaur because it is turn into a gator it’s a semi aquatic dinosaur .but it is same design like other tetanuran were the femur is bigger than the tibia.the false claim that spinosaurus has legs like macelognathus or compsognathus the science was allready on the books for bird gator dinosaur for the fourth trochanter .the tibia bigger than the femur likely is a flight feature because you need a fast animal jumping from trees to trees so they can get a big jump.

  12. 2-2.5 meters? That isn’t even 10 feet.
    Sorry, but this is NO dinosaur killer.
    Florida alligators are bigger.

  13. Real interesting 93million year old what..these guys are so ridiculous in their findings trying to make the science more interesting ..come on read the holy scriptures they will guide you in understanding science, time, space and matter, dont make it rocket science or science out of this universe, it’s all here, dont look for something else Mr Science Man🙉its not that old🙈🙈since the beginning man🙏

  14. The article does refer to the dinosaur as the small chicken sized juvenile dinosaur

  15. After reading that, I can't remember | February 26, 2022 at 2:43 am | Reply

    This has got to be the storyline from a South Park episode. “Herrowe and a wercome to a city-wok! You rike to try a city-crocodire egg rorre or a dinosorre chicken?! 😳🤔

  16. I call bullsh*t on all dino bones ever found , just like everything else been have been taught is all lies .
    Do your own research & you will know I’m right . Plaster of Paris every one of those fake bones .
    Stop lying , The Queen is Dead .

  17. How about I fake bone your face

  18. The amount of people s***ing on this article for no reason is astounding, I came for cool new research and perhaps a sophisticated discussion in the comments but I scroll to find religious idiots and paranoid skeptics. Just appreciate some cool dinos man. :/

  19. Glover Mclain | April 16, 2022 at 9:33 am | Reply

    I have a crystallized lwr rt. 7 ” section of a croc. jaw bone shaped with ” looks like ” 1 ( one ) cone shapped ” tooth ” . In front of the tooth is a 3/4 ” pad that looks like an upper tooth was chewing food . the jaw had a hole in the side , below the tooth , that looked like it was bitten by a pointed tooth . ALL IN CRYSTAL ( verified crystal STICKS by a paleontologist )

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