Postosuchus

The Postosuchus is an ancient cousin of modern crocodilians, sharing many common physical traits. The powerful tail, the robust skull, and the deadly jaws filled with dagger-like teeth are examples of these commonalities. The most striking difference, however, is the Postosuchus’ posture. Its forelimbs are almost half the size of its hind limbs, and it spends most of its time entirely bipedal. However, its crocodile-like ankle joints limit its ability to run at great speeds compared to the dinosaurs it lived alongside.

Discovery

In 1980, a newly discovered dig site near Post, Texas, provided various specimens of the Postosuchus. Later, in 1985, Paleontologist Sankar Chatterjee described the animal’s well-preserved skull along with various late Triassic fauna, and granted the species its name: Postosuchus, meaning “Crocodile from Post”.

Palaeoecology

As one of the largest carnivores of the Triassic, the Postosuchus proved a dangerous apex predator of its ecosystem. Much like its distant crocodilian descendants, it is a deadly ambush predator built for striking large prey from a concealed position but was also capable of active hunting as well.