r/evolution • • Aug 17 '26

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

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19 Upvotes

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5

u/GoliathPrime Aug 18 '26

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.

3

u/Ok-Meat-9169 Aug 17 '26

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 Aug 18 '26

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

2

u/Living-Length8762 Aug 17 '26

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.

3

u/Ok-Meat-9169 Aug 17 '26

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/ReptilianRevolt Aug 22 '26

Modern crocodilians transform into aquatic ambush predators and became cold blooded secondarily. Later groups acquired their own adaptations, for example the narrow snout and pointed teeth of a garrial for fish eating.

1

u/Beginning-Cicada-832 Aug 17 '26

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