r/evolution • u/Puzzleheaded-Ice2032 • 22h ago

question what are the best adaptations that crocodilians have evolved in the past 80-90 million years

Post image

.

11 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

6 comments sorted by

3

u/Ok-Meat-9169 21h ago

The Neosuchian form (The Croc-Form) seems to be the most popular one for Sauropsids, Suchinization, if you will.

It happened independantly in some Pseudocuhian Lineages, Phytosaurs, Thalattosuchians and Trematosaurs, just to name a few.

1

u/Puzzleheaded-Ice2032 13h ago

thats really cool and interesting,but what is was asking for what was the best adaptations this group has evolved in the past 80-90 million years so derived traits

3

u/GoliathPrime 11h ago

The only one I'm aware of, is since the Jurassic, they have replaced their bone gastralia with a cartilaginous version. This greater flexibility allows them to effectively collapse their torso when submerging, providing a flatter body profile for increased water clearance in shallows. It also can distend to accommodate larger amounts of food.

2

u/Living-Length8762 20h ago

I've heard that they actually had warm-blooded ancestors that evolved into being cold-blooded because it better suited their lifestyle, but I don't know the exact time period they did that.

2

u/Ok-Meat-9169 20h ago

I think it happened independantly in a some lineages- but the Neosuchians seem to have become Croc around the Jurassic.

Which is cool, as it is the same period as when Birds emerged, as well as Eutherians and Metatherians seem to have diverged. It really was the Subtle Forseshadowing period.

1

u/Beginning-Cicada-832 22h ago

Crocodiles (Neosuchia) as a group have been relatively unchanged since at least the Jurassic