8.2" Crocodile Fossil Bone Cretaceous Age Kem Kem Morocco Crocodilian Stand

Location: Kem Kem, Morocco

Weight: 2 Pounds 4.4 Ounces

Dimensions: 8.2 Inches Long, 4 Inches Wide, 1.7 Inches Thick (Matrix)

The item pictured is the one you will receive. 

Comes with a Free Stand.

Cretaceous Age through to the Eocene Age 

Crocodilians are a diverse group of reptiles comprising 23 species across four main types: crocodiles (13 species), alligators (2 species), caimans (6 species), and gharials (2 species). These reptiles are distributed across roughly 100 tropical and subtropical countries, all residing within about 4,000 kilometers of the equator.

Crocodiles are primarily Old World species, while alligators and caimans are found in the New World. They can be distinguished by several features: crocodiles have relatively narrow snouts, lower teeth visible when the mouth is closed, and a notch on either side of the upper jaw to accommodate the fourth tooth of the lower jaw. Alligators, in contrast, have broader, rounded snouts, with their lower teeth hidden inside the mouth and no jaw notch. Gharials are easily recognized by their extremely long, slender snouts.

Crocodiles are among the most ancient living reptiles, having existed for over 240 million years, appearing 25 million years before the first dinosaurs and 100 million years before the first birds and mammals. Fossil records indicate that some crocodiles from 230 million years ago reached lengths of up to 40 feet. As Dr. Perran Ross, a crocodile specialist at the University of Florida, notes, ancestral crocodiles “had basically the same body plan we see today, apparently because it works,” highlighting the evolutionary success of their design.

Interestingly, crocodiles are considered the closest living relatives of dinosaurs. They share many dinosaur-like features, including bird-like hip bone arrangements and teeth set in sockets rather than fused to the jawbone. Recent taxonomic studies even suggest that dinosaurs, birds, and crocodiles should be classified within the same branch of the animal family tree, reflecting their deep evolutionary connections.