# Dakosaurus andiniensis



## Foxbat

Reported in The Scotsman today - Fossil remains of a predator Dakosaurus andiniensis have been uncovered in Patagonia. Described as 13 feet long with 4 inch serrated interlocking teeth seems to resemble a marine crocodile but with fins. Because of its bullet-shaped head, they've nicknamed it Godzilla. 

Apparently, these remains were found in 1996 but it's only recently that they've managed to put a picture of it together. It's certainly a frightening beast. I'll see if I can find a link.


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## Rane Longfox

What kind of time period are they saying this "Godzilla" lived in? Because it sounds damn scary!!


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## Foxbat

I'm not too clued up on the time periods but it says 135 million years ago. Not sure quite where that puts it. Unfortunately I couldn't find any link but the National Geographic funded the research and will be running a feature in december.


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## Rosemary

There are a few links in Google Search about the Dakosaurus.  However I was unable to find anything in the Wikipedia.  

Will be certainly interesting to find out more about this creature.


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## Rosemary

At last something in our Western Australian Paper!

Godzilla is believed to have ruled the ocean 15 million years ago.  The area that Foxbat mentioned was apparently a deep tropical bay.

This strange creature measured 3.96 meters from nose to tail.  Unlike modern crocodiles Godzilla lived entirely in the water and had fish-like fins instead of legs.

I have still been unable to find a link, although the National University of La Plata in Argentina might have an update.


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## Foxbat

Yes, you are correct. Patagonia was, it states, some kind of tropical bay.
Another important point. General opinion seems to be that Godzilla preyed on creatures much larger than itself


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## Rosemary

Foxbat said:
			
		

> Yes, you are correct. Patagonia was, it states, some kind of tropical bay.
> Another important point. General opinion seems to be that Godzilla preyed on creatures much larger than itself



Apparently the short snout and large serrated teeth indicate that it was a predator.

It seems as if a Dr Pol  from Ohio State University might be the best place to start looking for more facts...

If I have time, I will have another hunt over the Net.

Just checked out the University in Argentina...naturally all in their language, although I did recognize a few words.  
Now across to Columbus


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## Alexa

Ugly beast.  No wonder they call it Godzilla.

I found an article about it in Live Science Animal World, if you are still interested.

http://www.livescience.com/animalworld/051110_godzilla.html

And a photo:


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## Rosemary

Thank you very much for the link Alexa.  There were a few interesting things about Godzilla which we had been unable to find out.

He certainly looks ferocious enough!


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## Alexa

Makes me think at all those SF movies with pre-historic animals. The barrier between science fiction and reality is so small sometimes.


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## Foxbat

Great work Alexa! I'd been trying to find a picture to post but couldn't find one anywhere. He's a real mean looking critter


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## Alexa

Can you imagine a Homo sapiens on the shore trying to hunt it ?


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## littlemissattitude

Well, if there had been any _H. sapiens_ around at the time, surely some idiot would have tried to hunt it. 

I think it is interesting that the article I read (on CNN) quoted one paleozoologist from the Argentinian universtiy as saying that Godzilla lived aroud 135 million years ago, in the late Jurassic.  However, the geologic time scales I've been able to find (World Book Online, Wikipedia) both put that time in the later early Cretaceous period.  This is still in the Mesozoic, but seems to me to be quite a large mistake for someone who is supposed to know their field.


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## Rosemary

The article in our newspaper here in 'Western Australia say that the experts believe it ruled the ocean 135 million years ago.  It then goes on to say that no other crocodile living towards the end of the Jurassic age was larger or more robust.  

As mentioned in an earlier post, I tried to get some more facts from Argentina and from  the Ohio State University in Columbus - I couldn't find out anymore than what has already been stated on this thread but then of course I might have been looking in the wrong place....


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## HieroGlyph

Above: 
The sea monster nicknamed Godzilla warns pterosaurs that this meal already is taken (Artist's impression: DAMNFX/National Geographic)

Also...
"The shape and size of its jaws and teeth suggest it hunted large marine vertebrates such as the giant marine reptile, _Ichthyosaurus_, rather than small fish." - BBC site.

Still no further information, but imagination does wonders...


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## Omega

Looks like my manager when he's in a really bad mood.


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## bri_457

so is this species alive today? or was there just a fossil of this vertebrate found and therefore they are hypothesizing when it lived? because if there was a species like this alive in our oceans the equilibrium of other animals would be greatly threatened and therefore causing an unequality among vertebrates in our oceans.


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## The Ace

It says Upper Jurassic to Lower Cretaceous, Rosemary must've lost a decimal point somewhere.

All crocodilians are predators, but this one took larger prey, ichtyosaurs, plesiosaurs and sharks.


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## Quokka

I know it's more to do with head shape but isn't it a little small to be nicknamed Godzilla? 

The Saltwater Crocodile measures between 6-7 meters (upwards depending on what you read) so if this specimen was 4m you'd have to think that at most it equalled the salties, which were roaming the shallows at the same time.

A terrifying predator in the water and you'd think the salties were no match for it but it's interesting that the Dakosaurus andiniensis died out where as the Saltwater Crocodiles survived. I assume that a reduction in large ocean going prey lead to an advantage for the ambush predator but does anyone know if this was the case or if something else was happening?

Also, not knowing much about crocodile evolution, I wonder if Dakosaurus andiniensis never came onto land or if they're an offshoot that returned to the deeper water?


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## bri_457

im guessing that since it had fin like apendiges that it lived in the ocean however the proportion of body to limb is very off so im thinking it was more of a surface dweller than a deep ocean predator. 

but i really dont know haha


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