Not all information about ancient animals is gained through bones. Sometimes, the animals of the deep history leave tracks that endure millions of years.
Recently, in South Korea called Jinju Formation, multiple tracks left by Mesozoic lizards, frogs, and other animals were discovered. The team of paleontologists from the University of Colorado Denver, together with their South Korean colleagues, have made another exciting discovery:
The team has found new tracks that had features typical for crocodiles. The measurement of tracks shows that the animal that has left them was around 3m in size. There were tracks of hind limbs, but not the forelimbs, which made the scientists conclude that the animals used to walk on two legs, unlike modern crocodiles that walk on all fours. The species was named Batrachopus grandis . This crocodile ancestor was most likely terrestrial. The existence of multiple parallel tracks shows that these animals used to travel the land in social groups. This discovery is the first solid evidence showing that crocodile-like animals could be terrestrial and bipedal in the Cretaceous period. Notably, this animal co-existed with other giant reptiles, including dinosaurs of considerable size.
Sources
Reference : “Trackway evidence for large bipedal crocodylomorphs from the Cretaceous of Korea | Scientific Reports” . Accessed July 02, 2021. Link .