The world’s oldest crocodile eggs known to science have been discovered in Portugal.
The eggs were found in the cliffs on the western side of the country, north of Lisbon, and were so well preserved that they give an insight into the “mother croc” that laid them 152 million years ago.
They are remarkably similar to the eggs of modern crocodiles, suggesting crocodile eggs have changed little in shape in the last 150 million years.
The prehistoric crocodile ancestor would have been around 2 metres in length, based on the size of the larger eggs, say palaeontologists.
Crocodiles arose some 200 million years ago, when they prowled the land with early dinosaurs.
Today, they are found throughout the world and are successful predators.
Crocodile bones are fairly common in the fossil record. They include Sarcosuchus, the super-croc, which lived in the rivers of Africa, eating dinosaurs and fish.
12 Responses
Wow! That is awesome news! Hope that they don’t open one up, or it would stink to high heaven!?
How did the eggs not decintegrate?
its is amazing how did thay find them
That is an amazing discovery!
hopefully it dosent hatch!!!
= )
I wonder if they will hatch and if they are going to put them in a nest with a foster mum so cool
I will laugh if it hatched all of a sudden.
How do they know if it is the oldest egg?! I won’t be surprised if there was a older egg by far.
!)
are you sure it was Sarcosuchus bones could have been deinosuchus or any other prehistoric crocs
this is crazy!
Oh my gosh wow 150 million years
wow
I love crocodiles way more then you..