Ancient 'Godzilla' Crocodile Discovered 175
SenseOfHumor writes "Paleontologists have discovered a huge crocodile which was a predator of large sea creatures. A Jurassic-age crocodile had the massive jaws and jagged teeth needed to hunt large sea prey, paleontologists say. The crocodile, nicknamed Godzilla, was nearly four metres long with a short snout like a T. rex, four fins and a vertical, fishlike tail." Photos and drawings are available at National Geographic, and more science at ScienceDaily.
Now that's what I call (Score:2, Funny)
"The crocodile, nicknamed Godzilla"
my idea of intelligent design
Re:Now that's what I call (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Now that's what I call (Score:1)
Gojira (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Gojira (Score:1)
Re:Gojira (Score:1)
Re:Gojira (Score:2, Informative)
While this isn't an interesting find because of its size, it does add to the credibility of evolution. This species is similar to ancient crocodiles, which also had more features in common with fish, i.e. their tails, but (in addition to some other changes) this fossil has a unique skull. This is a great example of another transitional fossil to add to the record, and this find follows what evolution predicted to the "T". This fossil is exactly what one form of evolution predi
Re:Gojira (Score:2)
Re:Gojira (Score:3, Insightful)
Y'think? Let's see some quotes from TFA:
"The researchers don't yet know what events triggered the relatively sudden emergence of the large crocodile..."
Sounds like more data that evolution can't really explain.
"Unlike the crocodiles we know today, Dakosaurus andiniensis lived entirely in the water, and had fins instead of legs."
What part of the skull did the researches base *that* conclusion o
Re:Gojira (Score:2)
You almost get it. Falsifiable is an absolute requirement. Usefulness as a predictor must merely be present, but does not need to be everpresent., as in the case of nonlinear systems with lots of feedback.
For example, The meteorologists' inability to tell me if it will be raining one year from today in Podunk, Nebraska does not invalidate the models used, nor could it be used to imply the
Re:Gojira (Score:2)
Evolution scientists cannot predict exactly which changes to a species will happen, since there is a random part, namely which mutations will actually happen to individuals of that species. However, they can predict in certain cases which kind of mutations, if they happen, will likely be favored by selection, or weeded out by selection. But it's impossible to know for certain wether adaptive ch
Re:Gojira (Score:2)
2. The Orwellian nature of some parts of science. Once a theory is replaced by another, nobody seems to be cognizant of the fact that the current pet theory could be as easily replaced as the last theory. (We are at war with blue, we have always been at war with blue.)
Theories aren't always "replaced." For example, Newton's theory of gravity was replaced by Einstein's Relativity but still remains valid and quite useful at speeds which are much slower than the speed of light. This is because Newtonian Gravit
Evolution and Natural Design... (Score:1)
People should actually research things before condemning them.
Re:Evolution and Natural Design... (Score:1, Flamebait)
If you are - then - whatever.
If it is not - then it's called a "joke". Even if you believe in ID, it's still a joke, and a funny one. The parent did not state the validity of ID - merely making a joke about the use of the word "God" in the name of an ancient creature.
If you can not take the joke, then there is something truly sad about your whole position. Heck, people make jokes about mine all the time, and I laugh, because its funny.
So please, think abou
Re:Evolution and Natural Design... (Score:2)
Re:Evolution and Natural Design... (Score:3, Insightful)
While there is no consensus on how the chemical reactions leading to initial living organisms occured, we have a fairly complete picture of the steps involved. Recent research shows that the odds of life forming on earth 40 billion years ago are very plausible. Some gaps remain but nothing drastic enough to negate the current scientific know
Re:Evolution and Natural Design... (Score:2)
Re:Evolution and Natural Design... (Score:2)
All necessary molecules for primitive life have been created through simple experiments in the labs. Those ex
Re:Evolution and Natural Design... (Score:2)
If you check the molecular genesis experiments, in the early stages the researchers who actually did them expressed great confidence that continuing the bombardment of early atmospheric chemicals would soon build actual proteins. As
Re:Evolution and Natural Design... (Score:2)
What about the protenoid world of Sidney Fox? It's not exactly like modern day protein structures but it can definitely be dubbed "protein like" structures. Just because Fox made some whacky claims later on in his career, his early work on protein structures is peer reviewed and can't be dismissed.
Re:Proteinoid world (Score:2)
Re:Proteinoid world (Score:2)
Or is the metabolic process the heart of life? That is an almost philosophical questions. Because it is certain that Fox's structures possessed metabolic capabilities. Of course they didn't have any DNA or RNA structure encoding the replication process BUT there is no clear specimen to tell us WHAT that information processing loooked like. Thus the job of replicating it is guesswork.
This is just chemistry
That is a tenuous statement.. It is certainly not li
Re:Gojira (Score:2)
Where do you think the stories about sea monsters and dragons across multiple cultures come from?
Mario Mayors and Disasters. (Score:4, Funny)
Cue the.... (Score:5, Funny)
Not that huge (Score:4, Interesting)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crocodile [wikipedia.org]
Re:Not that huge (Score:5, Funny)
Maybe it grows bigger if you're nice to it. Of course, maybe they're thinking 'if I drop a nuke on this I'd have Godzilla!'. Who ever knows with scientists...
Re:Not that huge (Score:2)
Crickey! This Steve Irwin bloke sounds like he is an alcoholic. [news.com.au]
Or he is just stupid.
Yes, I am Australian and no average Australian's don't try to wrestle crocs on a daily basis.
Re:Not that huge (Score:4, Interesting)
But then, if you have never gone to Washington D.C. and gone to the Smithsonian - you need to make the trip. The natural sciences building has all sorts of fantastic things on display. They had a wooly mammoth on display when I was there as well. Huge beast. But no where near as scary as that giant snake.
The got'cha was the skeleton of the T-Rex they had hidden behind a turn. You came around the turn and there it was with it's mouth open ready to bite you in half. I heard several people make half-screams (those little eeps!) when they came to it. Strangely my first reaction was to sock the thing one until I realized it was just a skeleton. I guess the old fight or flight thing was in overdrive after having been shocked with the snake.
Re:Not that huge (Score:2, Funny)
Sounds like a terrific idea to me.
Re:Not that huge (Score:2)
Re:Not that huge (Score:1)
Re:Not that huge (Score:1)
Oh, please... (Score:4, Funny)
Size doesn't matter (Score:4, Informative)
Re:Size doesn't matter (Score:1)
Re:Size doesn't matter (Score:2)
Re:Oh, please... (Score:3, Funny)
Didja stop before or after you got your ass kicked by some punks shouting cowabunga?
Re:Oh, please... (Score:1)
Let them extract the DNA (Score:1, Offtopic)
Re:Let them extract the DNA (Score:5, Informative)
(Or maybe I just don't get the joke.)
Re:Let them extract the DNA (Score:2)
Great idea!! (Score:2)
CRIKEY! (Score:5, Funny)
Re:CRIKEY! (Score:2)
Re:CRIKEY! (Score:2)
4 meters? Godzilla? (Score:4, Informative)
Huge Crocodile! Nearly 4 meters long! (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Huge Crocodile! Nearly 4 meters long! (Score:5, Informative)
The first thing I thought when I read this (and its been in regular news sites for a day and a bit) was "mmm thats pretty small" and its especially small when compared with SuperCroc [wikipedia.org] (although there is an interesting clash of largest recorded sizes for salties between those two wikipedia articles)
Re:Huge Crocodile! Nearly 4 meters long! (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Huge Crocodile! Nearly 4 meters long! (Score:2)
Re:Huge Crocodile! Nearly 4 meters long! (Score:2)
Length is one dimension. I wonder if this godzilla crocodile was otherwise bigger than modern crocodiles.
We're used to old news... (Score:4, Funny)
Other breaking news from 135M years ago! (Score:3, Funny)
First thought... (Score:1)
Second thought was does this give more credability to the people that say man existed the same time as these things, citing myths containing them to be evidence.
Third thought is that thing is way too freaking small to be Godzilla, I'm disappointed now. (All because of the name, if they would have just said Giant Serpent or something I would be fine).
Re:First thought... (Score:4, Funny)
Re: (Score:2)
Re:Snouts (Score:2, Interesting)
The snouts lengths increased as it began eawting more water based creaters than land based. Fish would seem allot easier to catch and eat (this saving energy) than a bear or whatever.
Having a longer snout would also make it harder to close if it catches something at the bare end of it's teeth -- since it's something small like fish, it doesn't matter. But if it's a bigger animal (like a Dinosaur), I would assume that having a smaller but more potent (
Re:Snouts (Score:2)
However, crocs are opportunistic predators and most longirostrine species will eat terrestrial prey if given half the chance. Even Indi
Zonk you pulling another 48er? (Score:4, Interesting)
Science: Ancient 'Godzilla' Crocodile Discovered
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That would be almost 14 hours solid on Slashdot, with a break provided by samzenpus at 1pm - is it really that bad to work for CmdrTaco?
Re:Zonk you pulling another 48er? (Score:2)
Re:Zonk you pulling another 48er? (Score:2)
Well that sank my amusing crack about his proof-reading competence.
Size is relative (Score:2)
Seriously, that flying dinosaur it's going after would have to be the size of a sparrow for the scales in that picture to work!
respect_for_national_geographic--;
Re:Size is relative (Score:2, Informative)
You can leave your respect for National Geographic alone; there's nothing wrong with the scale in that painting as long as you remember that most pterosaurs weren't huge. This croc's skull is about 2.5 feet l
Re:Size is relative (Score:2)
Seriously, though (Score:1)
4 meters. and they're calling it godzilla?
"Fossils from a real-life sea monster--a massive crocodile-like species--have been unearthed in Patagonia, Argentina. The animal likely measured 13 feet (4 meters) long from nose to tail."
a MASSIVE SEA MONSTER? it's 13 feet. there was a 14-foot alligator practically in my grandparents backyard a few years ago. big whoop.
this is probably the sing
ready for my close-up, Mr. DeMille... (Score:2)
Only four meters? (Score:1)
Gar ? (Score:1)
http://www.sdafs.org/laafs/Amazing%20Fish%20Pictu
Again and Again Nature points out the folly of man (Score:1)
It's small compared to modern crocs (Score:1)
This a pathetic attempt to get some funding so the researchers won't have to go back to making fries.
Re:It's small compared to modern crocs (Score:1)
Not very exceptional (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:Not very exceptional (Score:2)
As for Gustav, I seriously doubt he's over 20 feet long based on photos, video and descriptions I've seen. I've spoken with colleagues who've seen him and they acknowledge that he's a very big Nile Croc, but not a shred of evidence that he's anywhere near the monster size that's been mentioned like 25 feet. I hope someone catches
question (Score:2)
Noodles (Score:2)
A croc with fins and a fish tail... (Score:1)
I'm recovering, but... (Score:3, Interesting)
But (Score:2)
AAAAEEEEEEEIIIIIIII the soldiers have failed to stop Gogirra!
Gomek was much bigger (Score:1)
I saw it before it died a few years ago. Really BIG.
Lots of sturdy security fencing around it to prevent it from snatching a tourist. You could see it from underwater through plate glass. It's mouth was big enough to hold the whole me.
Re:Gomek was much bigger (Score:2)
Crocodilian Database - large crocs (Score:2)
Which is the largest species of crocodile? [ufl.edu]
According to this site Gomek is a saltie from Papua New Guinea, which made more sense to me. There are a couple species of crocodilian South America that get large, but not as consistently.
obligatory (Score:1)
Obligatory Blue Oyster Cult Quote... (Score:2)
He pulls the spitting high tension wires down
Helpless people on a subway train
Scream bug-eyed as he looks in on them
He picks up a bus and he throws it back down
As he wades through the buildings toward the center of town
Oh no, they say he's got to go
Go go godzilla, yeah
Oh no, there goes tokyo
Go go godzilla, yeah
Not as cool as the supercroc (Score:1)
4 Meters? (Score:2)
Re:4 Meters? (Score:2)
The largest species of crocodile in the world is Crocodylus porosus, the saltwater or estuarine crocodile. In fact, this is the largest living reptile in the world, bar nil. Snake afficionados may argue that there are longer snakes, but none combine both length (over 6 metres) and body mass (over 1.5 tonnes) to reach such large overall sizes like the saltwater crocodile can.
Big Croc [ufl.edu]
Burt, in the photograph above, is a captive crocodile in Darwin, Australia. He's over 16 feet (4.9 m) long, which is
What kills me... (Score:1)
Has Slashdot hit a new High? (Score:4, Interesting)
[quote]
This article has recently been linked from Slashdot (backlink).
Please keep an eye on the page history for errors or vandalism.
[/quote]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Estuarine/Saltwater_
Back off people! this is the Devil's work! (Score:2)
There is a larger croc alive in captivity (Score:2)
Re:This was on Digg yesterday... (Score:1)
Re:This was on Digg yesterday... (Score:1)
Re:This was on Digg yesterday... (Score:1)
Re:This was on Digg yesterday... (Score:5, Insightful)
Technically Digg.com isn't original either (Score:2)
Re:This was on Digg yesterday... (Score:2)
Yet I still keep reading slashdot...
Re:This was on Digg yesterday... (Score:1)
Ancient 'Godzilla'-like Slashdot Dupe Discovered
Re:This was on Digg yesterday... (Score:1)
41m? (Score:2)