During the Triassic period, Earth was very different. The planet’s landmass formed the supercontinent Pangea, surrounded by a single vast ocean and home to strange creatures competing for dominance. Among them was one of the earliest relatives of modern crocodiles, which roamed the Earth at the time the first dinosaurs emerged.
One of the first known specimens of the modern crocodile, discovered in Brazil, Bellator Tainrakuasuchushunted about 240 million years ago, making it the oldest known member of the crocodile lineage. His discovery, published in the Journal of Systematic Paleontologyoffers a rare glimpse into the ecosystems of the time, when South America and Africa were still connected and life was experimenting to create animals for long-term success.
Learn more: Master of survival and evolution, the crocodile now has two new species
Find a warrior crocodile perfectly designed for hunting
In May 2025, researchers digging near Dona Francisca, Brazil, discovered a partial skeleton including the lower jaw, spine, and pelvic girdle. From there, they identified a new carnivorous reptile, Bellator Tainrakuasuchusthe “sharp-toothed warrior crocodile”, named with words from Guarani (tain, rakua), Greek (suchus) and Latin (bellator) to reflect its sharp teeth and ferocious hunting ability.
Based on fossil evidence, the animal was about eight feet long, weighed about 130 pounds, and probably walked on all fours. Its back was armored with bony plates called osteoderms, similar to the natural armor seen in modern crocodiles. With a long, flexible neck and streamlined body, it was well equipped to hunt a variety of prey in the Triassic landscape.
Fossils show a fierce predator that is not a dinosaur
As a member of Pseudosuchia (the group that includes the ancestors of modern crocodiles and alligators), T. bellator was one of the main predators of the Triassic era.
“This animal was an active predator,” said lead author Rodrigo Temp Müller of the Federal University of Santa Maria, in a press release, “but despite its size, it was far from being the largest hunter of its time, with the same ecosystem supporting giants up to seven meters long.”
Müller highlighted the diversity of Pseudosuchia because they could attack “robust prey, […] catch fast animals. However, despite this diversity, “they remain poorly known, because the fossils of certain [of] their lineages are extremely rare in the fossil record.
Although they look like small dinosaurs, Müller explained that their anatomy tells a different story. “One of the clearest ways for us to distinguish it from dinosaurs is in the structure of the pelvis, where the characteristics of the hip and femur joints are very different.”
The discovery also highlights the complexity of early ecosystems. T. bellator represents a period when different pseudosuchia species occupied specific niches, as described in the press release.
“Its discovery helps shed light on a key moment in the history of life, the period before the advent of dinosaurs,” Müller said.
Connecting the ecosystems of South America and Africa
The new species also links prehistoric South America to Africa. T. bellator is closely related to Mandasuchus tanyauchena predator discovered in Tanzania, reinforcing the idea that the two continents shared evolutionary histories during the Triassic.
“This connection […] can be understood in light of the paleogeography of the Triassic period,” Müller said. “The continents were united, which allowed the free dispersal of organisms across regions that are now separated by oceans. As a result, the faunas of Brazil and Africa shared several common elements, reflecting an intertwined evolutionary and ecological history.
T. bellator probably lived on the edge of a vast arid desert, similar to the landscape where the first dinosaurs emerged. His discovery demonstrates that reptiles established strong communities long before dinosaurs became dominant.
From ancient deserts to modern rivers, crocodiles have survived. Their recently discovered ancestor reminds us that the history of life is long and persistent, spanning 240 million years of evolution, survival and adaptation.
Learn more: How crocodiles survived for over 230 million years and two mass extinction events
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