{"id":290410,"date":"2026-02-18T19:40:08","date_gmt":"2026-02-18T19:40:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/290410\/"},"modified":"2026-02-18T19:40:08","modified_gmt":"2026-02-18T19:40:08","slug":"scientists-just-discovered-a-new-ancient-crocodile-hiding-in-plain-sight-since-1969","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/290410\/","title":{"rendered":"Scientists Just Discovered a New Ancient Crocodile\u2026 Hiding in Plain Sight Since 1969"},"content":{"rendered":"

A 215-million-year-old crocodylomorph discovered in the United Kingdom has been identified as a new species, Galahadosuchus jonesi. The fossil, unearthed in 1969 but only recently recognized as distinct. The find sheds light on a little-known chapter of early crocodile evolution during the Late Triassic, a period that predates the Triassic-Jurassic mass extinction. <\/p>\n

It also highlights how museum collections can hold overlooked scientific value for decades. Described in The Anatomical Record, the species adds to a growing list of animals that once inhabited a complex limestone landscape spanning what is now southern Wales and southwest England. <\/p>\n

A Crocodile Fossil That Waited More Than 50 Years<\/p>\n

The remains of Galahadosuchus jonesi were recovered in southwestern England in 1969 and stored in collections for decades before being reexamined. As explained by the research team, the specimen was originally grouped with fossils of Terrestrisuchus, another early crocodylomorph. It was during a detailed anatomical review that differences became apparent. <\/p>\n

\u201cMy Ph.D. project is looking at the evolutionary relationships of these early crocodiles,\u201d lead author Ewan Bodenham<\/a> explained. \u201cSo we conducted a detailed anatomical description of this specimen, making comparisons to other early crocodiles to determine if it was another specimen of Terrestrisuchus or if it was something new.\u201d<\/p>\n

They ultimately identified 13 key anatomical differences. Several of these distinctions involved the wrists, where the new species displayed bones <\/a>that were shorter and stockier than those of previously known specimens. <\/p>\n

\"GeologicalGeological and geographic context of the Cromhall fissure deposits. Credit: The Anatomical Record<\/p>\n

An Ancient Land Predator in a Karst World<\/p>\n

Unlike modern crocodiles<\/a> and alligators<\/a>, Galahadosuchus jonesi lived entirely on land. The animal had long, slender limbs and an upright stance, giving it what researchers described as a \u201creptilian greyhound\u201d appearance.<\/p>\n

During the Late Triassic, the region around today\u2019s Bristol Channel was dominated by a limestone karst system filled with sinkholes and caves. According to the study, published in The Anatomical Record<\/a>, animals that died on the surface were washed into these fissures and gradually buried by sediment. Over time, the deposits accumulated bones from species that lived between roughly 230 and 200 million years ago.<\/p>\n

This environment supported a wide range of fauna. Fossils from the same deposits include some of the earliest known dinosaurs, such as Thecodontosaurus and Pendraig, as well as smaller reptiles like Cryptovaranoides, considered one of the earliest lizards, Threordatoth, and the gliding reptile Kuehneosaurus. Within this ecosystem, Galahadosuchus likely hunted small reptiles, amphibians, and early mammals among upland vegetation bordered by hot, arid plains.<\/p>\n

\"HolotypeHolotype of Galahadosuchus jonesi. Credit:The Anatomical Record\u00a0<\/p>\n

A Scientific Tribute Rooted in the Classroom<\/p>\n

The ancient crocodile\u2019s name carries a personal story. The first part, Galahadosuchus, references Galahad of Arthurian legend, chosen to reflect the animal\u2019s upright posture. The second part, jonesi, honors David Rhys Jones, a physics teacher from Cardigan, Wales. As stated by Bodenham: <\/p>\n

\u201cWe named it after my secondary school physics teacher,\u201d\u00a0he said, describing him as someone who not only explained concepts clearly but showed genuine enthusiasm for science. He added that \u201cHe also didn\u2019t let me settle. He was very good at challenging people and helping students be the best they can be. Above all, he\u2019s a very funny, genuine, nice guy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"TheThe illustration shows Galahadosuchus jonesi as a reptilian greyhound-like hunter, built for speed with elongated, delicate legs. Credit: Matt Dempsey<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A 215-million-year-old crocodylomorph discovered in the United Kingdom has been identified as a new species, Galahadosuchus jonesi. The…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":290411,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[26],"tags":[111,139,69,147,406],"class_list":{"0":"post-290410","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-wildlife","8":"tag-new-zealand","9":"tag-newzealand","10":"tag-nz","11":"tag-science","12":"tag-wildlife"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/290410","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=290410"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/290410\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/290411"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=290410"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=290410"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=290410"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}