{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,21]],"date-time":"2026-10-21T18:07:48Z","timestamp":1792606068035,"version":"4.5.0"},"reference-count":34,"publisher":"American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)","issue":"5546","content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Science"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2001,11,16]]},"abstract":"<jats:p>\n            New fossils of the giant African crocodyliform\n            <jats:italic>Sarcosuchus imperator<\/jats:italic>\n            clarify its skeletal anatomy, growth patterns, size, longevity, and phylogenetic position. The skull has an expansive narial bulla and elongate jaws studded with stout, smooth crowns that do not interlock. The jaw form suggests a generalized diet of large vertebrates, including fish and dinosaurs.\n            <jats:italic>S. imperator<\/jats:italic>\n            is estimated to have grown to a maximum body length of at least 11 to 12 meters and body weight of about 8 metric tons over a life-span of 50 to 60 years. Unlike its closest relatives, which lived as specialized piscivores in marginal marine habitats,\n            <jats:italic>S. imperator<\/jats:italic>\n            thrived in fluvial environments.\n          <\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1126\/science.1066521","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2002,7,27]],"date-time":"2002-07-27T09:47:15Z","timestamp":1027763235000},"page":"1516-1519","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":249,"title":["The Giant Crocodyliform\n            <i>Sarcosuchus<\/i>\n            from the Cretaceous of Africa"],"prefix":"10.1126","volume":"294","author":[{"given":"Paul C.","family":"Sereno","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA."}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Hans C. E.","family":"Larsson","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA."}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Christian A.","family":"Sidor","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Anatomy, New York College of Osteopathic Medicine, Old Westbury, NY 11568, USA."}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Boube\u0301","family":"Gado","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institut de Recherches en Sciences Humaines, Niamey, Niger Republic."}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"221","reference":[{"key":"e_1_3_1_2_2","first-page":"2326","volume":"262","author":"Broin F.","year":"1966","unstructured":"Broin F., Taquet P., C. R. Acad. Sci. Paris 262, 2326 (1966).","journal-title":"C. R. Acad. Sci. Paris"},{"key":"e_1_3_1_3_2","first-page":"1","volume":"1","author":"Taquet P.","year":"1975","unstructured":"Taquet P., Cah. Pal\u00e9ontol. 1, 1 (1975).","journal-title":"Cah. Pal\u00e9ontol."},{"key":"e_1_3_1_4_2","unstructured":"Sarcosuchus imperator revised diagnosis (conditions unknown in S. hartti ): crocodyliform with premaxillary narial bulla maxillae that expand about 25% in width anteriorly anterior maxillary teeth reduced in size. Sarcosuchus revised diagnosis ( S. imperator S. hartti ): crocodyliforms with dentary teeth 3 and 4 enlarged (28); diastema between dentary tooth 4 and 5; dentaries with fan-shaped distal expansion (28) reaching a width 50% greater than the narrowest portion of the rami; dentary symphysis extending posteriorly to about dentary tooth 20."},{"key":"e_1_3_1_5_2","unstructured":"A. C. Pooley in Crocodiles and Alligators C. A. Ross Ed. (Merehurst London 1989) pp. 76\u201391."},{"key":"e_1_3_1_6_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1139\/e96-045"},{"key":"e_1_3_1_7_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1144\/GSL.JGS.1907.063.01-04.05"},{"key":"e_1_3_1_8_2","unstructured":"M. K. Hecht in Santana Fossils J. G. Maisey Ed. (T.F.H. Publications Neptune City NJ 1991) pp. 342\u2013347."},{"key":"e_1_3_1_9_2","unstructured":"F. D. Ross G. C. Mayer in Advances in Herpetology and Evolutionary Biology A. G. Rhodin K. Miyata Eds. (Harvard Univ. Press Cambridge MA 1983) pp. 305\u2013331."},{"key":"e_1_3_1_10_2","first-page":"1","volume":"60","author":"Buffetaut E.","year":"1981","unstructured":"Buffetaut E., M\u00e9m. Soc. Geol. France Nov. Ser. 60, 1 (1981).","journal-title":"M\u00e9m. Soc. Geol. France Nov. Ser."},{"key":"e_1_3_1_11_2","unstructured":"Skull length is measured from the anterior end of the premaxilla to the posterior end of the occiput in the midline."},{"key":"e_1_3_1_12_2","first-page":"369","volume":"45","author":"Wermuth H.","year":"1964","unstructured":"Wermuth H., Senck. Biol. 45, 369 (1964).","journal-title":"Senck. Biol."},{"key":"e_1_3_1_13_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.2307\/1562913"},{"key":"e_1_3_1_14_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1071\/ZO9780001"},{"key":"e_1_3_1_15_2","first-page":"253","volume":"6","author":"Singh L. A. K.","year":"1982","unstructured":"Singh L. A. K., Bustard H. R., Br. J. Herpatol. 6, 253 (1982).","journal-title":"Br. J. Herpatol."},{"key":"e_1_3_1_16_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1071\/WR9830383"},{"key":"e_1_3_1_17_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.2307\/1564733"},{"key":"e_1_3_1_18_2","unstructured":"The holotypic skull of S. imperator in the collections of the Mus\u00e9e National du Niger (MNN) has a length of 160 cm (2) and is the largest verified skull length on record (the same reference reported a 170-cm skull but there are no figures of this specimen)."},{"key":"e_1_3_1_19_2","unstructured":"Regressions of body length ( y ) against head length ( x ) for G. gangeticus ( y = \u221269.369 + 7.4 x r 2 = 0.972) and C. porosus ( y = \u221220.224 + 7.717 x r 2 = 0.98) yield total body length estimates of 11.15 m and 12.15 m respectively for a skull length of 160 cm. Mean total body length equals 11.65 m (38 feet 3 inches) (Fig. 4B). Data for G. gangeticus ( n = 17) include measurements taken by P. Sereno from captive bred gharials in the Kukrail Picnic Center and Katerniaghat National Reserve in northern India and available measurements for individuals greater than 1.5 m long (11). Data for C. porosus ( n = 28) come from wild individuals in northern Australia (A. Britton) and from available measurements for individuals greater than 1.5 m long (11) (excluding one suspicious record with body length of 4.91 m) (for measurement data see supplementary material) (29)."},{"key":"e_1_3_1_20_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1671\/0272-4634(2001)021[0392:AROTPP]2.0.CO;2"},{"key":"e_1_3_1_21_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/18343"},{"key":"e_1_3_1_22_2","first-page":"74A","volume":"19","author":"Schwimmer D. R.","year":"1999","unstructured":"Schwimmer D. R., J. Vert. Paleontol. 19, 74A (1999).","journal-title":"J. Vert. Paleontol."},{"key":"e_1_3_1_23_2","unstructured":"Using linear equations for C. porosus (13) we estimated snout-vent length in S. imperator from skull length (160 cm yielding 572 cm) and from total body length (11.65 m yielding 570 cm). We used mean snout-vent length (571 cm) in turn to estimate a body weight (bw) of 7.96 metric tons [log bw= \u22122.0894 + 3.2613 (log 571 cm)]."},{"key":"e_1_3_1_24_2","unstructured":"S. Grenard Handbook of Alligators and Crocodiles (Kreiger Malabar FL 1991)."},{"key":"e_1_3_1_25_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1671\/0272-4634(2001)021[0492:TACNMF]2.0.CO;2"},{"key":"e_1_3_1_26_2","unstructured":"Sarcosuchus + Terminonaris : premaxillary palate with circular paramedian depressions (Fig. 2D); premaxillary teeth and alveolar margin angled posteroventrally (2 9 24) premaxillary tooth rows angled posterolaterally (120\u00b0 intervening angle) (9 24); last premaxillary tooth lateral to first maxillary tooth; ventral offset of premaxillary tooth row (9 24); broad premaxillary-maxillary diastema; transverse expansion of distal end of dentary (characters 68 to 72; see supplementary material) (29)."},{"key":"e_1_3_1_27_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/00222931308693345"},{"key":"e_1_3_1_28_2","unstructured":"Phylogenetic definitions are provided below for key higher level taxa for stability of taxonomic content (30): Crocodyliformes Protosuchus richardsoni Crocodylus niloticus and all descendants of their common ancestor; Protosuchia all crocodyliforms more closely related to Protosuchus richardsoni than to Crocodylus niloticus ; Mesoeucrocodylia all crocodyliforms more closely related to Crocodylus niloticus than to Protosuchus richardsoni ; Metasuchia Notosuchus terrestris Crocodylus niloticus and all descendants of their common ancestor; Notosuchia all crocodyliforms more closely related to Notosuchus terrestris than to Crocodylus niloticus ; Neosuchia all crocodyliforms more closely related to Crocodylus niloticus than to Notosuchus terrestris. Crocodylia is defined as Gavialis gangeticus Crocodylus niloticus and all descendants of their common ancestor [modified from (31)]."},{"key":"e_1_3_1_29_2","first-page":"203","volume":"20","author":"Buffetaut E.","year":"1977","unstructured":"Buffetaut E., Taquet P., Palaeontology 20, 203 (1977).","journal-title":"Palaeontology"},{"key":"e_1_3_1_30_2","unstructured":"Supplementary data are available on Science Online at www.sciencemag.org\/cgi\/content\/full\/1066521\/DC1."},{"key":"e_1_3_1_31_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/106351599260328"},{"key":"e_1_3_1_32_2","unstructured":"H. C. E. Larsson dissertation University of Chicago (2000)."},{"key":"e_1_3_1_33_2","unstructured":"A. G. Smith D. G. Smith B. M. Funnell Atlas of Mesozoic and Cenozoic Coastlines (Cambridge Univ. Press Cambridge 1994)."},{"key":"e_1_3_1_34_2","unstructured":"D. L. Swofford PAUP 3.1 (Illinois Natural History Survey Champaign IL 1993)."},{"key":"e_1_3_1_35_2","unstructured":"Supported by the David and Lucile Packard Foundation the National Geographic Society and the Pritzker Foundation. We thank C. Abraczinskas for the finished illustrations; A. Beck A. Britton C. Brochu J. Conrad J. Head W. Langston Jr. and J. Wilson for comments on the manuscript; B. Barr B. C. Choudhury and G. Martin for help in measuring G. gangeticus ; A. Britton for measurements of C. porosus ; E. Dong A. Gray L. Mahler T. Keillor R. Masek and C. Noto for fossil preparation; A. Beck D. Blackburn J. Bradshaw J.-P. Cavigelli J. Conrad E. Duneman D. Dutheil M. Hettwer G. Lyon T. Lyman J. Marcot R. Sadleir G. Wilson J. Wilson and D. Varricchio for their contributions during expeditions in 1997 and 2000; and I. Kouada and the government of the Niger Republic for their support of this research."}],"container-title":["Science"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.science.org\/doi\/pdf\/10.1126\/science.1066521","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2024,1,9]],"date-time":"2024-01-09T22:02:23Z","timestamp":1704837743000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.science.org\/doi\/10.1126\/science.1066521"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2001,11,16]]},"references-count":34,"journal-issue":{"issue":"5546","published-print":{"date-parts":[[2001,11,16]]}},"alternative-id":["10.1126\/science.1066521"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1126\/science.1066521","relation":{},"ISSN":["0036-8075","1095-9203"],"issn-type":[{"value":"0036-8075","type":"print"},{"value":"1095-9203","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2001,11,16]]}}}