Mekosuchus: The Last Of The Land Crocodiles

[@Randomrainfrog]

Fascinating creature! Makes me sad about how many unique animals we missed out on, but then I remember how awesome the animals that still exist are. It’s an amazing thing to share the planet with such unique species, and to be able to study and learn about the ones before them.

[@surryugh4046]

made my day

[@silentsteinlette]

well said!

[@Garnondorf]

True!

[@gattycroc8073]

Mekosuchus and other terrestrial crocodylomorphs deserve more love and recognition in media. I was very disappointed that we did not get to see any in Prehistoric Planet because we need mor crocs is paleo media.

[@alestiiidaeno_last3075]

What a shame they went extinct. Terrestrial crocs were such an interesting group.

[@ДаниелСпасов-ъ2ш]

Good riddance to them. They weren't complaining when genociding the synapsids in the mesozoic.

[@girishg414]

Yeah imagine yourself being hunted by one in dense jungle- it wouldn’t even bother killing you before eating you alive.

[@sussysugar7853]

I don't know about you. If I ran out of the water and see a croc chasing me on land I'd shit myself.

[@OmarSlloum]

@@sussysugar7853 we already got comodo dragons digging up our graves so I say why not

[@midnitemoon1153]

I wonder if they preserved any genetic material, especially since they died out so recently. It would be cool to bring them back so their line isn’t extinct for all eternity

[@deinowolfhybridhero5101]

Meiolania seems more similar to a snapping turtle than a terrestrial tortoise. Awesome!

[@surryugh4046]

this KZbinr is so under rated

[@chimerasuchus]

Thanks!

[@surryugh4046]

@@chimerasuchus you're welcome

[@denderrant]

Holy crap, I didn't even know about Volia - so exciting to learn about another member of this group that was also a recent survivor! Another great video but that ending was probably your best ever. You perfectly captured the all the right feelings - the tragedy of it's loss, and the hope for future land crocs if we give them a chance. Great perspective about this being the first time in Earth's history without land crocs since they first evolved - I hadn't even thought of it from that angle before. Poignant and very, very well stated.

[@graptemys1]

Great content! I really like Mekosuchus and wasn't aware that some might have been arboreal. Thanks for that interesting video.

[@jointcerulean3350]

Mekosuchus is such an extraordinary crocodilian, and being a fully terrestrial carnivore at that, and also arboreal! would have been such an incredible and awesome sight to see on those south pacific islands. Wonder how fast mekosuchus could have galloped though, also would be interesting to see how arboreal they were in comparison to other south pacific varanid lizards, and how it differed in the way they climbed trees. Also there is a really awesome lecture by Dr Paul willis on terrestrial Mekosuchines called "Bio-geographical questions of large reptile dispersal across Australia and the South West Pacific" and he even delves into the arboreal nature of mekosuchus at 47:59 in the video and Shows the skull elements, humerus, and tibia of mekosuchus inexpectatus and compares it with a modern crocodile skull, humerus, and tibia, along with a modern varanid skull, humerus, and tibia as well. And the humerus of mekosuchus inexpectatus based on the photos looked very similar to the humerus of a varanid lizard which is quite astonishing, and really awesome to see the level of evolutionary changes and adaptation these terrestrial mekosuchines went through. Also the strong epaxial muscles of mekosuchus where also present in the other smaller terrestrial forms such as Trilophosuchus, and also the much more sizable terrestrial mekosuchine Volia from Fiji. The paper which mentions these strong epaxial muscles in these terrestrial mekosuchines is called "Dwarfism and feeding behaviours in oligo-miocene crocodiles from riversleigh, northwestern Queensland, Australia" On the subject of mekosuchus, I seriously think they could still survive and persist to the present in unexplored and remote islands in the south pacific, I think the best bet to find a living mekosuchus or close relative would be in remote New Guinea rainforests and the countless neighboring island chains around the island, also the Solomon islands would be the second best bet, and other remote islands in the south pacific as well. they have found a new species of giant orange arboreal native rat from the Solomon islands in 2017 from local people describing this species and was eventually found by the scientists. Around the same time other scientists rediscovered a monitor lizard in New guinea which both islands and islands chains harbor sizable monitor lizards which could also harbor a possible surviving small terrestrial mekosuchine. The thing is no one has yet asked local people in these regions like New Guinea or the Solomon islands if they seen small land crocodiles, or showed reconstructed drawing of mekosuchus, and showed both a monitor lizard and a mekosuchus to show the distinctions. Partly because not many people would know about such unique crocodilians existing so recently since there unfortunately so obscure currently. The only reports I could find though of anything that could possibly be a terrestrial mekosuchine would be from reports of tree climbing crocodiles in new guinea, back in world war 2 Japanese soldiers caught glimpses of what they described as tree climbing crocodiles deep in the papuan jungle. As well as the the local people in New Guinea which call tree crocodiles monitor lizards in the region which is quite intriguing, Im speculating here, but if mekosuchus or a close relative lived, or possibly still survives in the remote jungles of new guinea would they have been so behaviorally similar and in appearances to the local people that they would use a single word to described both monitor lizards and small terrestrial mekosuchines? Im certainly reaching here but its something no one has yet explored, or carried out, and hopefully it is in the future. which I do hope there are herpetological expeditions, looking for mekosuchus or a close relative in these regions like new guinea, solomon islands, and other south pacific islands. Certainly a group of scientist looking for different groups of reptiles in these regions would help, and certainly help discover other new species of reptiles, and even other groups of animals, and such. And varanid surveys in these regions would also add to the possibility to accidentally find of a terrestrial mekosuchine, and for sure new monitor lizard species in the region. As for the Cuban crocodile and dwarf crocodile, they would be good candidates for rewilding, the cuban crocodile has already be mentioned multiple times to be reintroduced into terrestrial landscapes in the bahamas where it once lived but would first need to have native herbivores to be rewilded and introduced first like the rock iguanas, hutia rodents, and red footed and yellow footed tortoises as a taxon substitute for the extinct tortoise species, and flightless rail birds. And the african dwarf crocodile would be a good taxon substitute for mekosuchus. The more western african dwarf crocodile species during the dry season copes without water for long periods of times and continues to feed on land and on terrestrial prey. As for Pleistocene rewilding, the cuban crocodile would be the best choice as an ecological surrogate, taxon substitute to the terrestrial ziphodont mekosuchine quinkana since its the most terrestrial extant crocodile and used to live in terrestrial ecosystems in the past as well. Though the cuban crocodile could as well be a taxon substitute on new Caledonia, but the dwarf crocodile would certainly be a much more safer endeavor but the option is there, but the herbivore taxon substitutes on new Caledonia would be the first to be attempted. Also mainland Australian rainforest would be another rewilding locality for the dwarf crocodiles as a taxon substitute for the dwarf terrestrial mekoschines, and same for other speices of cassowary like the dwarf cassowary's, and northern cassowary and other wildlife like rare marsupials species as well. Vanuatu would be another rewilding location for the dwarf crocodile. Also the dwarf crocodile is comprised of three distinct species the african dwarf crocodile osteolaemus tetraspis, west african dwarf crocodile osteolaemus frontatus, and the congo dwarf crocodile osteoalemus osborni which has the most striking colors of all the know african dwarf species, and sadly face a similar threat that mekosuchus and other small terrestrial mekosuchines faced in the south pacific, over hunting for food. But yes, bring em back! Return to terrestrial crocodile initiative! also awesome prehistoric content as always, theirs always going to be cool an extinct species I never hear of before, also mekosuchus at last, glad you covered this one, hope to have more papers published on this genus of land croc. would also be awesome to have one as a pet to.

[@pptemplar5840]

One thing I randomly thought of just because of the eyes in one of those ancient croc reconstruction, it's funny how rarely we hear about (at least on KZbin) paleontology studies that question weather organisms were diurnal or nocturnal. I think the question is most interesting in regards to predators, many large predators like owls take advantage of the night in the same areas as other similar size predators. Idk, obviously it doesn't actually make more prey available to the ecosystem in a physical sense, but a nocturnal mid size or macro predator isn't something I hear a lot of paleo channels cover, and they SURELY existed, so it makes me think we are just regularly looking at their bones without realizing it.

[@N.Sniper]

I knew about land crocs (just not that they still lived so relatively short ago) and giant monitors but not about the Ankylosaurus-like land turtles, they look so awesome!

[@bensantos3882]

Chime your awesome, I always watch your videos to pep me up. I always am happy to hear about extinct crocs from you. I see thia channel as the Croc Channel and pray to God you stay healthy along with yoir family.

[@kuitaranheatmorus9932]

For being the last land crocs they did a good job at being what they are and jut being so cool Also nice video and hope you have a nice day

[@hashemkaeraky6395]

Amazing channel Keep up the good work

[@keithlowe5512]

Absolutely fascinating. Had no idea they survived so long on the islands :/

[@RCSVirginia]

Though I realize that 'tis highly unlikely due to the heat of tropical and desert environments, I do keep hoping that one day enough genetic material will be found of recently-extinct animals, those that died out in the last few thousand, or tens of thousands of years, to enable scientists to resurrect these animals in the future. ... From the title, I suspected that this video would mention the New Caledonian Land Crocodile. Great video, by the way.

[@carlsjoberg7110]

Man have i had that dream fel Times. Really hope it will be oossible one day.

[@dinohall2595]

That ending hit different...We killed off the last of the land crocs, and now we might be about to kill off any chance they have of reappearing. Humans truly are so smart they're dumb.

[@19megamustaine85]

the natives killed these crocs off ,just like native indians killed the ice age megafaune in north america.

[@beastmaster0934]

Luckily, the two species in the genus Paleosuchus (The smooth-fronted and dwarf caiman) are classed as Least Concern, so they are doing okay. But the Dwarf Crocodile and Cuban crocodile are classed as Vulnerable and Critically Endangered respectively. So their futures are less certain. So we may still have land crocs in the future, but only in South America.

[@DonKrieg-382]

how many animals did u kill

[@yuzhuocao5663]

An entire channel dedicated to land crocs. Awesome!

[@gatorjake456]

Great Video as always! Can you tell me where the image at 3:48 is from, and where it says the image is “CC BY 4.0”? I’m working on a Crocodilian book and I want to include an image of Mekosuchus as an example of how diverse Crocodylia and Crocodylomorphs once were. I want to include that image, but want to make sure it does have the CC 4.0 license.

[@chimerasuchus]

Here is the link alphynix.tumblr.com/post/109902154574/its-about-that-time-again-time-for-a-daily-art. However, after double checking it turns out I attributed the wrong license to it. It is actually under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial license (CC BY-NC 4.0). You can still contact Nix for permission to use the image in your book. Also, good luck on it!

[@gatorjake456]

@@chimerasuchus thank you so much for responding

[@JohnnyNakatomi]

Fascinating ! Thanks !

[@altanativeftw2625]

Have you considered doing a long-form video on the biogeography of the Permian, possibly in collaboration with Atlas Pro, who has already done many videos on palaeobiogeography? Your Gorynychus video gave me that idea when it talked about biogeographic trends in therocephalian and gorgonopsian evolution in South Africa and Russia, and I realised that despite the spatial and temporal diversity of Late Permian assemblages in Russia, China, Germany, Tanzania, Zambia, South Africa, Madagascar, Brazil, etc. that this subject is completely enigmatic to all but the most specialist experts whereas dinosaur biogeography (which Atlas Pro made an in-depth video on), especially in the Cretaceous, is widely known even to many amateurs in palaeontology. I'd love to learn more about Permian evolutionary and biogeographic trends but most of the information is inaccessible in paywalled journals unlike Mesozoic biogeography, and considering your expertise in basal archosaurs and basal synapsids that lived in this time period, I think it would be a worthwhile project.

[@joeshmoe8345]

Super cool stuff, thanks for sharing with us boss!

[@Croationman]

Great video as always my friend.

[@Alberad08]

A further fascinating crocodile docu - thanks a lot for sharing!

[@stefanostokatlidis4861]

Could they survive somewhere isolated in New Guinea though? The place isn’t fully explored yet.

[@chimerasuchus]

Perhaps. It is more plausible than just about any other land croc surviving.

[@DonKrieg-382]

@@chimerasuchus it has been found with the meg inside the marriana trench

[@mlggodzilla1567]

Another great video 😎

[@legonlavia]

New Caledonia is indeed a paradise for endemics

[@bkjeong4302]

If only we weren’t such a destructive species….

[@BNWOCHUD]

hopefully someday we will find a way to bring them back not like how they were, but how they really were

[@sauron6977]

@@BNWOCHUD Nah. It's just better for the planet in general to get rid of us.

[@BNWOCHUD]

@@sauron6977 God you just have got the wrong view of things

[@scottmitchell1974]

​@Sauron What are you waiting for?!

[@DonKrieg-382]

a dude in a village has nothing to do what the cooperations do to the earth stop being hateful to your species

[@chancemcleod4956]

I hope better remains are found of this animal and possibly genetic material. The last of a terrestrial dynasty of crocodylomorphs lasting from the late Triassic to the late pleistocene/early Holocene.

[@Taverius]

Why do they always draw them so cute!? 😍

[@chimerasuchus]

It is because they were.

[@SomeKindOfDodo]

I would have loved to visit the Australia of Mekosuchuses times.

[@kelvinrosales7089]

Amazing, never thought that there were actually crocodilians that were completely terrestrial in the Cenozoic era. I thought since the KT extinction, neosuchians stayed amphibious till modern day Such a tragedy and shame, we could’ve learn and have a better idea of how the Mesozoic archasaurs were back then.

[@cottton]

Ok. the mammoths can go eat it cuz i say if we bringing back an extinct animal these fellas are first

[@a.m11558]

Quinkana was another interesting Australian terrestrial crocodile, if I'm correct I believe it lived with humans as well

[@posticusmaximus1739]

Non-notosuchian true croc land crocs are fascinating!

[@fatalis1903]

Can you make a video about Volia

[@Shaden0040]

10 foot crocs and gators can climb 15 goot high chainlink fences.

[@grahamstrouse1165]

I lived in Florida for a decade-Can confirm. 🙂

[@Croationman]

I want to take one on a walk.

[@chheinrich8486]

New caledonia must have been a nice place 6 thousand years ago, climbing crocodiles, horned turtles and Lots of birds

[@KaijuFan1954]

Can you please do a video on Giganotosaurus?

[@Spike_The_Beach_Buddy]

Interesting that mekosuchus was a land croc that managed to survive after the end of the ice age

[@brianzulauf2974]

they could probably still be out their some places are still highly unexplored.

[@christosgiannopoulos828]

Damnit. We could have pet crocodogs and we don't cause our ancestors drove them to extinction. I guess we discovered them too early

[@nivumdeterraartemisiae275]

😢with such a close date of extinction I really hope we can clone some of these crocs back to existence

[@carlsjoberg7110]

Im with you on every level here

[@ecurewitz]

I wonder if we can line these critters

[@natebrodeur1765]

Would have made a dope ass pet

[@redrobiin]

I am sure there is a small island where they still thriving in the deep forest somewhere far away.

[@rileymanders2167]

so smart

[@lucasbussard6241]

I may be looking at buying a smooth fronted caiman

[@maozilla9149]

nice

[@Doubledutch23]

Let's start a cayman breeding program. We select only the smallest caymans with the longest legs and good climbing abilities. Then we can breed a new species of land croc lol

[@petrairene]

So this animal filled the ecological niche of the monitor lizards?

[@Ozraptor4]

Kind of telling that small terrestrial mekosuchines went extinct in Australia at about the same time as monitors/goannas arrived and diversified.

[@PalaeoJoe]

Palaeosucus?

[@chimerasuchus]

It is a modern caiman genus which includes Cuvier's dwarf caiman and the smooth-fronted caiman.

[@RodanX220]

The closest animal to a real dragone.

[@Llamaguru]

I wonder if it’s possible to reverse the extinction of these species like how they’re trying to do with many ice age mammals. It would be amazing to see them in action!

[@VictorianTimeTraveler]

My great Grandad told me that crocodiles could climb trees, holy crap I guess he was telling the truth. I didn't believe him because he was a notorious prankster

[@Lowlandlord]

I just want to point out that the research that crocs are good climbers ain't that new, we have documents to that effect going back to 1972. Also, in NASA it has long been known they are good climbers, as the climber over the chainlink fences and get into Cape Canaveral. It's only recently that this knowledge is becoming widespread within the relevant communities.

[@Kroggnagch]

Tree croc tree croc whatcha gonna do? Whatcha Donna do when it falls on you? Tree croc tree croc

[@connorsantonocito6015]

Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

[@Bake-kurijra]

So basically this crocodile only went extinct just 500 years ago . So so basically in 1689 nice

[@DonKrieg-382]

eurocuck /poopynesian moment

[@ferdiansyahhilmi3016]

@@DonKrieg-382what are those words man ?

[@DonKrieg-382]

@@ferdiansyahhilmi3016 the 2 races responsible for many beautiful animals extinction

[@P.ilhaformosatherium]

i want one as a pet

[@jffryh]

I think you meant to say aquatic instead of amphibious

[@jffryh]

Or semiaquatic

[@angelopueyygarcia43]

It looks like a tiny dragon what a shame it went extinct

[@WeAllWitnessed]

Please bring him back to life 🥺

[@TheAnimalKingdom-tq3sz]

As jarring to see Mekosuchus climbed trees, There's actually evidence that crocodilians DO climb trees! Look it up! Also, It's very refreshing to see crocodilian species climb trees since the media portrayed them as amphibious. Don't get me wrong tho, I'm just pointing out that they need some research and add more nuance to the species they once demonized.

[@thesatanosaurreigns2448]

Based

[@Hans909]

If DNA can survive up to 1 million years and Mikasa went extinct 3000 to 1000 years ago and it has relatives so alive doesn’t that mean we can maybe bring it back to life

[@generaldissatisfaction5397]

I like the idea of a tree climbing crocodile...

[@juanjoyaborja.3054]

If they were still alive today, I’m sure they’d make a killing on the pet trade.

[@chimerasuchus]

They would probably quickly become an invasive species.

[@giog7370]

I’m glad that some species went extinct since they could have pose a threat to modern society but the extinction of mekosuchus dodo birds thylacine Stellers sea cow and great auks make me very sad

[@BarelyDecentProduction]

what. we have a hand in their extinction???

[@julianshepherd2038]

Only the ones in my nightmares survive.

[@UniDocs_Mahapushpa_Cyavana]

The ratites and tuataras wouldn’t be so uniques if these guys were around. 😂😂😂

[@cerberaodollam]

1) I want one. so cute! 2) welp, this story slays the idea that only white people are bad for the environment and everyone else is "in harmony" with nature. 3) how likely is it that some sort of new land croc evolves again?

[@LiamGutierrez]

The natives in Australia still hunt endangered dugongs and sea turtles today..

[@flightlesslord2688]

GODDAMN HUMANS. We cannot have nice things. Eh heres hoping we find some DNA or some modern bois evolve into land crocs again

[@carterkunkel7188]

First

[@personman4639]

these are cool but this dud really sounds like: 🤓

[@jf6614]

That’s how you know it’s good.

[@jasonchamberlain1405]

What kind of nutcase would want land crocs to make a comeback?

[@chimerasuchus]

I would.

[@jasonchamberlain1405]

@@chimerasuchus Maybe on some remote island, not anywhere near people it could kill.

[@chimerasuchus]

Most of the semi-terrestrial species are small. Even in the case of larger species, humans have proven to be a greater threat to them than they are to us.

[@grahamstrouse1165]

I’m on #TeamLandCroc. The bigger the better, far as I’m concerned. Let’s thin out those herds of humans!

[@jasonchamberlain1405]

@@grahamstrouse1165 Only reason I don't think a crusade to g*nocide crocodiles is needed is they're specialised ambush predators we can avoid. Being anti-human or putting the lives, even the existence of a group of animals against human interests is cringe. Glad there are no more big cats in most of the world because we killed them.

[@thechickhouse2985]

I’m sorry but you sound like this 🤓

[@Chebornek]

Yeah, just what humanity needs... land dwelling crocs. Hard pass.

[@Langkowski]

You probably didn't even watch the video. If you did, you would know they were too small to be of any danger to humans.

[@wd9165]

So nasal…

[@aum3.146]

Good info but dry academic

[@LiamGutierrez]

Dry? If you are really interested you would not find it dry at all.

[@Popebug]

Why do you sound like Squidward, though?