About 215 million years ago, long before crocodiles lurked in rivers and swamps, one of their ancestors was built for speed. It had long, slender legs, a lightly built body, and an upright stance — more greyhound than gator. This newly described reptile once darted across dry uplands in what is now southwest England, hunting small prey in a landscape edging toward one of Earth’s great mass extinctions.
Researchers have now named the animal Galahadosuchus jonesi and described it in The Anatomical Record. The genus name references Sir Galahad of Arthurian legend — a nod to the reptile’s upright posture — while the species name honors a Welsh schoolteacher who inspired the study’s lead author to pursue science.
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A Land-Dwelling Relative of Modern Crocodiles
Galahadosuchus belonged to Crocodylomorpha, the broader group that includes modern crocodiles and alligators. But unlike its semi-aquatic relatives, this Triassic species lived entirely on land.
At the time, this part of Britain looked nothing like it does today. It was an upland landscape bordered by hot, arid plains. Small reptiles, amphibians, and early mammal relatives moved through sparse vegetation — likely prey for a fast, lightly built hunter.
Early crocodylomorphs weren’t yet the heavy ambush predators we associate with crocodiles. Many were small, agile, and upright, filling ecological roles closer to those of terrestrial carnivores. Fossils from this period show the group spread widely across ancient continents, turning up in what are now Europe, North America, and South America.
How a Forgotten Fossil Became a New Species
Researchers collected the specimen that became Galahadosuchus in 1969 from Cromhall Quarry in Gloucestershire. For decades, it was thought to belong to another early crocodylomorph called Terrestrisuchus.
When researchers took a fresh look at the fossil, including using CT scans to digitally reconstruct parts of the skeleton, differences appeared.
Although no skull was preserved, the fossil includes much of the body behind the head: vertebrae, ribs, limb bones, and small bony armor plates known as osteoderms. That was enough to compare it carefully with related species.
The researchers added the fossil to a larger evolutionary analysis of nearly 40 early crocodylomorph species. While it clustered near Terrestrisuchus, consistent differences in wrist bones, forelimb proportions, and ankle structure set it apart. In total, the team identified 13 distinct features, enough to justify naming a new genus.
The anatomy also supports the idea that Galahadosuchus was an erect, cursorial animal, built for running rather than sprawling or swimming.
On the Eve of a Mass Extinction
Galahadosuchus lived during a transitional chapter in Earth’s history. The Late Triassic ended with a mass extinction linked to massive volcanic eruptions that altered the climate and reshaped ecosystems worldwide. Many species disappeared, clearing ecological space that allowed dinosaurs to rise to dominance.
The fissure deposits around the Bristol Channel — natural cracks in limestone that trapped and preserved small animals — offer a rare glimpse of life just before that upheaval. Each new species described from these deposits adds detail to a community that included early mammal relatives, reptiles, and agile crocodylomorphs experimenting with different body plans.
The find adds to growing evidence that early crocodylomorphs were far more diverse than their modern descendants suggest. Long before crocodiles became riverbank ambushers, their ancestors included fast-running terrestrial predators navigating dry, seasonal landscapes.
It’s also a reminder of what can happen when researchers take a second look at museum fossils. This specimen sat in a collection for decades before careful reanalysis and modern imaging techniques revealed it was something entirely new.
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