What fossils tell us about crocodiles

A massive asteroid struck the Earth 66 million years ago, dramatically affecting marine and terrestrial environments, and causing the mass extinction of numerous animal and plant species. The sebecosuchians, a highly-adaptable group of reptiles belonging to the Crocodilian order, were one of the lineages that survived the impact. In a bid to characterise the diet of these ancient species and the environment in which they lived, a team from the LGL-TPE laboratory in Lyon (southeastern France)* used several methods, including the chemical analysis of their bones and the detailed study of their skulls.