GnathostomataNotosuchia

Simosuchus clarki

Simosuchus clarki skeletal reconstruction, left lateral view, reconstructed length ~0.75 m.
Scale bar = 10 centimeters
Taxon
Simosuchus clarki Buckley et al., 2000
Reconstructed length
75 cm (2.5 feet)
View
Left lateral
Drawing
© Scott Hartman
Drawn
2018, revised 2020
Clade
  1. Gnathostomata
  2. Tetrapoda
  3. Amniota
  4. Sauropsida
  5. Archosauromorpha
  6. Archosauria
  7. Pseudosuchia
  8. Crocodylomorpha
  9. Notosuchia

See how Simosuchus clarki compares to any other animal →

If you’ve ever wondered what would happen if you crossed a crocodile with a pig, well it might end up looking something like Simosuchus. Discovered in Late Cretaceous rocks in Madagascar, this 0.75 m (2.5 foot) long, more upright armored notosuchian crocodile-relative appears to have been a plant eater, a rarity for species this far up the crocodilian family tree.

Simosuchus got a taste of fame in the second season of Prehistoric Planet, where it was portrayed as a burrower, able to hide out underground when a marauding Majungasaurus attempted to make a meal out of them.

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Simosuchus clarki skeletal reconstruction with its body armor removed, left lateral view — the skeleton and body outline without the osteoderm shell.
The same reconstruction with Simosuchus's extensive osteoderm armor removed, showing the skeleton and body outline beneath. Drawn 2018, revised 2020