A fierce crocodile ancestor that hunted before dinosaurs has been found

The species is named Tainrakuasuchus bellator, a title partly inspired by the Latin word for "warrior" or "fighter." This armored animal lived 240 million years ago, during a time just before dinosaurs appeared.

As a member of the Pseudosuchia (the precursors of modern crocodiles and alligators), it belonged to a dominant group of predators that thrived in the Triassic Period.

Size, Hunting Skills, and Early Ecosystem Role

Details of the discovery appear in the peer-reviewed Journal of Systematic Palaeontology. According to the study, the creature measured about 2.4m in length and weighed around 60kg.

Its long neck and agile body allowed it to strike quickly at prey. Once it closed in, it used slender jaws filled with sharp, recurved teeth to secure its target and prevent escape.

"This animal was an active predator, but despite its relatively large size, it was far from the largest hunter of its time with the same ecosystem home to giants as big as seven meters long," explains lead author Dr. Rodrigo Temp Müller, who led the paleontology team at the Universidade Federal de Santa Maria in Brazil.

"Pseudosuchia were a diverse group of animals capable of tackling robust prey, as well as small hunters specialized in catching swift animals.

"Although its appearance superficially resembles that of a dinosaur, Tainrakuasuchus bellator does not belong to that group. One of the clearest ways for us to distinguish it from dinosaurs lies in the structure of the pelvis where the characteristics of its hip and femur joints are very different."

A Glimpse Into Pre-Dinosaur Biodiversity

Dr. Müller notes: "Tainrakuasuchus bellator's discovery represents the complexity of the ecosystem at the time, with different pseudosuchia species -- varying in sizes and hunting strategies -- occupying specific ecological niches.

"Its discovery helps illuminate a key moment in the history of life, the period that preceded the rise of the dinosaurs."

The fossils were uncovered during a May 2025 excavation in the municipality of Dona Francisca in southern Brazil. The team found a partial skeleton encased in rock that included portions of the lower jaw, vertebrae, and pelvic girdle.

Analysis of the bones revealed details about the animal's behavior and confirmed that Tainrakuasuchus bellator was protected by bony plates called osteoderms, which are also found in today's crocodiles.

Although its limbs were not preserved, the researchers believe it moved on all fours, similar to related species.

Meaning Behind the Name

The name 'Tainrakuasuchus' blends the Guarani words tain ("tooth") and rakua ("pointed") with the Greek suchus ("crocodile"), referring to its sharp teeth.

The second part, 'bellator,' comes from the Latin word for "warrior" or "fighter" and, according to the authors, "honors the people of Rio Grande do Sul, symbolizing their strength, resilience, and fighting spirit, especially in light of the recent floods that have affected the state."

Rare Fossil With Links Across Ancient Pangaea

Dr. Müller describes the find as "extremely rare" and says it provides more evidence of the ancient connection between Brazil and Africa during the Triassic Period -- when the world's landmasses were joined into the supercontinent Pangaea.

"Despite the diversity of pseudosuchians, they remain poorly understood, as fossils of some their lineages are extremely rare in the fossil record," Dr. Müller says.

"The fossils we found underwent a meticulous preparation process in the laboratory, during which the surrounding rock was carefully removed.

"Once the anatomical details were revealed, we were delighted and really excited to reveal that the specimen represented a species previously unknown to science.

"What we uncovered was a species that belongs to a predator closely related to one (Mandasuchus tanyauchen) found in Tanzania.

"This connection between animals from South America and Africa can be understood in light of the Triassic Period's paleogeography.

"At that time, the continents were still united, which allowed the free dispersal of organisms across regions that are now separated by oceans. As a result, the faunas of Brazil and Africa shared several common elements, reflecting an intertwined evolutionary and ecological history.

"Tainrakuasuchus bellator would have lived in a region bordering a vast, arid desert -- the same setting as where the first dinosaurs emerged.

"It shows that, in what is now southern Brazil, reptiles had already formed diverse communities adapted to various survival strategies. Moreover, this discovery reveals that such diversity was not an isolated phenomenon."