This 215-million-year-old ‘crocodile’ ran on land instead of swimming Researchers have identified a new species of early crocodile relative from a Late Triassic fossil found in southwest Britain. The skeleton, about 215 million years old, came from fissure deposits around the Bristol Channel and had long been assigned to Terrestrisuchus. Closer anatomical study has now shown it belongs to a different genus and species, named Galahadosuchus jonesi.The reassessment adds to what is known about early crocodylomorph diversity during the Triassic. The bones indicate a small-bodied animal that lived on land. Its limbs were long and set beneath the body rather than sprawling outward. The overall build suggests agility and speed. Researchers say it contributes to evidence that the earliest crocodile relatives were terrestrial animals, not semi-aquatic swimmers.
This ancient crocodile from 215 million years ago was a runner, not a swimmer
The study, “A second species of non-crocodyliform crocodylomorph from the Late Triassic fissure deposits of southwestern UK: Implications for locomotory ecological diversity in Saltoposuchidae”, mentions that the fossil was collected from Late Triassic deposits in southwest England and south Wales. For years it was thought to represent a known species. The new analysis points elsewhere. Subtle differences in the skeleton led researchers to separate it from earlier classifications.Unlike modern crocodiles, which are largely semiaquatic, this animal appears to have been adapted to dry ground. The limb proportions are slender. The hips and ankles suggest an upright stance. It does not resemble a river ambush predator. It looks more like a light, ground-moving hunter.
How it differs from Terrestrisuchus
Comparisons with Terrestrisuchus gracilis show distinctions in the wrists, arms and lower legs. Some bones are shorter and more robust. The ankle structure varies in small but consistent ways. These are not dramatic differences at first glance, yet taken together, they were enough to justify a separate classification.The changes are structural rather than cosmetic. They affect how the limb would have functioned. That matters when reconstructing posture and movement.
Placing it on the evolutionary tree
Researchers carried out a phylogenetic analysis to determine where the species fits. The results place it within Saltoposuchidae, a group of small, lightly built Triassic crocodylomorphs known for terrestrial habits.Members of this group are generally interpreted as fast-moving predators. The new species does not overturn that view. It reinforces it, though the exact mechanics of its gait remain uncertain.
Rethinking early crocodile evolution
The skeleton does not support the image of early crocodiles as swamp-bound animals. Instead, it points to active land dwellers with upright posture and running adaptations. Over time, crocodile evolution moved toward the semi-aquatic forms familiar today. This fossil sits further back along that line.It adds detail rather than drama. Early crocodylomorphs were varied. Some were small and built for speed. The shift from land to water was not the starting point. It came later.