1.6" Champsosaurus Gigas Reptile Fossil Fused Vertebrae Cretaceous Hell Creek FM MT

Location: Hell Creek Formation, Glendive, Montana (Private Land Origin)

Weight: 1.9 Ounces 

Dimensions: 1.6 Inches Long, 1.5 Inches Wide, 1.1 Inches Thick

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Name: Champsosaurus (Crocodile lizard.).

Diet: Carnivore/piscivore.

Size: Depending upon the species, anywhere between 1.5 and 3.5 meters long. Known locations: Canada and the USA. 

Although Champsosaurus resembled a crocodile and almost certainly lived like one, but the genus was actually part of the Choristodera. This is a distinct group of diapsid reptiles, which means that despite their physical similarity, Champsosaurus was not related to the modern crocodiles we know today. Of all the modern crocodiles, Champsosaurus is most similar to the gharial. Its snout is long and thin, possibly adapted for hunting smaller creatures like fish. The back part of the skull, however, is significantly expanded, allowing for the attachment of very large jaw muscles. This suggests that Champsosaurus may have had a surprisingly powerful bite despite its narrow snout. Alternatively, it’s possible that the muscles were designed for quick action rather than strength, so the jaws could close rapidly around fast-moving prey. Champsosaurus has a lengthy taxonomic history dating back to the ‘bone wars,’ a rivalry between Othniel Charles Marsh and Edward Drinker Cope during the late nineteenth century in North America. Currently, there are seven recognized species of Champsosaurus, although many more were named in the past. Nearly a hundred and fifty years of research have led to some of these being reclassified as synonyms. Many Champsosaurus species were quite modest in size, though some, like C. Gigas, could grow up to about three and a half meters length.