25-08-2025
Photo: João Lima/NOVA FCT
An international team of paleontologists, led by Arthur Maréchal, researcher at NOVA FCT, has discovered a new prehistoric marine crocodile on the Angolan coast, a finding that is rewriting our understanding of the evolution and survival of marine life at the end of the Cretaceous period.
The fossil, belonging to the Dyrosauridae family – a group of large marine reptiles related to modern crocodiles – was unearthed near the locality of Bentiaba, in Namibe Province. It represents one of the oldest and southernmost members of this group ever identified, with features showing that these animals were already established well before the mass extinction event that occurred 66 million years ago.
“What we discovered suggests that these marine crocodiles not only survived the catastrophic event that wiped out the dinosaurs, but were already well established in the southern seas before it happened. This discovery offers a new perspective on the resilience of ocean life during periods of global crisis,” says Arthur Maréchal, researcher at NOVA FCT.
The specimen was excavated in 2017 near Bentiaba – a site of recognized importance for African marine paleontology – and prepared at the Lourinhã Museum. Analysis of the fossilized bones placed the animal within the Hyposaurinae subfamily, revealing an elongated snout adapted to marine life. This new species challenges the prevailing theory that Dyrosauridae only flourished after the extinction of the dinosaurs, instead suggesting that the absence of earlier records may be due to gaps in the fossil record.
Bentiaba: One Fossil, a Larger Story
The research, published in the Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, strengthens Angola’s position as an emerging region for future paleontological studies. In Bentiaba, where rocks still preserve the remains of ancient marine reptiles such as mosasaurs, plesiosaurs, and now crocodile relatives, paleontologists are gaining rare insights into South Atlantic ecosystems before one of the most dramatic turning points in Earth’s history.
To bring this lost world to life, paleoartist Victor Carvalho created a reconstruction titled “Submerged in Time: Fauna Before the Silence”. The artwork captures a frozen moment in time, depicting the newly discovered crocodile alongside other marine creatures that once thrived in the ancient Atlantic and Angolan seas.
In the press
Investigadores da Nova FCT descobrem novo crocodilo marinho em Angola, TVI
Novo crocodilo marinho pré-histórico descoberto em Angola, SIC Notícias
Novo crocodilo marinho pré-histórico descoberto em Angola, Sapo
Novo crocodilo marinho descoberto em Angola revela segredos do Atlântico Sul antes da extinção dos dinossauros, Green Savers
