An article on an amazing discovery: Modern Godzilla?

On Thursday, November 10 a strange fossil was found in Argentina resembling a 135 million year old marine crocodile. With the head of a dinosaur and a body of a fish, scientists call him "Godzilla". Diego Pol of The Ohio State University quotes; "Its the most bizarre creature to actually think was once found on the face of the earth".

In Argentina, 1996 a group of farmers stumbled across parts of an unknown speachies. They called in a team of paleontologists (the study of bones and fossils by professionals at work) led by Zulma Gasparini of Argentina's La Plata University. Not knowing what the speacies was themselves they collected a skull and parts the body of the animal. Scientists then named the (at that time) the unknown species Dakosaurus andiniensis, after a crocodile from the same time that resembles the now known "Godzilla". After analysis of the fossils and bones they were surprised to conclude that, with a tail like a fish, and the size of the skull the crocodile was about 12 feet long!

"Its most unusual characteristic" said Pol, "was a short and high snout, unlike the long, thin snouts found on many of today's crocodiles."

Ohio State University

Dakosaurus andiniensis, pencil drawing. A crocodyl...

Godzilla

The animal also had huge sharp teeth, 13 counting, paleontologists say were often found in most dinosaurs.

"This was a top predator that probably swam around using its jagged teeth to bite and cut its prey, like dinosaurs and other predatory reptiles did." stated Diego Pol. The Dakosaurus (Godzilla) scientists say, was an animal that had four flipper like arms and legs, using its fish-like tail to move through water.

"It likely fed on reptiles and other large sea life when it roamed the Pacific Ocean off southwestern South America millions of years ago. We find these results extremely interesting...