Sarcosuchus (pronounced /ˌsɑrkɵˈsuːkəs/, meaning "flesh crocodile" and commonly called "SuperCroc") is an extinct genus of crocodyliform and distant relative of the crocodile that lived 112 million years ago. It dates from the early Cretaceous Period of what is now Africa and is one of the largest giant crocodile-like reptiles that ever lived. It was almost twice as long as the modern saltwater crocodile and weighed approximately 8 to 10 tonnes.
Until recently, all that was known of the genus was a few fossilised teeth and armour scutes, which were discovered in the Sahara Desert by the Frenchpaleontologist Albert-Félix de Lapparent, in the 1940s or 1950s. He called it the "Aoulef crocodile". However, in 1997 and 2000, American paleontologist Paul Serenodiscovered half a dozen new specimens, including one with about half the skeleton intact and most of the spine. All of the other giant crocodiles are known only from a few partial skulls, so which is actually the biggest is an open question.
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