Newly Discovered Prehistoric Crocodilian Had Legs That Went All the Way Up

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TThe island of Britain was not an island at all 215 million years ago. Instead, like all lands on Earth, it was part of the massive supercontinent, Pangaea, characterized by rolling terrain rising above dry, sunburned lowlands. There, a curious creature was walking in the grass: a long-legged crocodilian that was recently described in an article published in The anatomical file.

Described as a “reptilian greyhound”, this prehistoric crocodilian resembled another relative of long-limbed crocodiles, Terrestrisuchusbut showed some differences worth studying. Unlike modern crocodiles, both species were likely agile and fast, living their lives on land where they hunted small prey.

The specimen in question was first discovered in 1969 in fissures along the Bristol Channel. By the end of the Triassic, the region was dotted with limestone caves perfect for capturing animal remains, creating pockets of fossil-rich sedimentary rocks for future paleontologists to explore. This particular fossil languished in the Natural History Museum’s collection before catching the attention of the study’s author and Ph.D. student Ewan Bodenham from University College London.

Read more: “When We Had Lunch”

“My doctoral project focuses on the evolutionary relationships of these early crocodiles,” Bodenham said in a statement. “We therefore carried out a detailed anatomical description of this specimen, making comparisons with other early crocodiles to determine whether it was another specimen of Terrestrisuchus or if it was something new.

After meticulously studying the fossil, Bodenham determined that there were 13 key differences that separated it from Terrestrisuchuswhich meant that it was a new species worthy of a new name: Galahadosuchus jonesi. The gender (Galahadosuchus) is a reference to the legendary Sir Galahad, known for his righteousness and a nod to the crocodilian’s upright stance. The name of the species (Jonesi) was a little more personal for Bodenham; he chose it to honor his former physics teacher, David Rhys Jones, who encouraged him to pursue a career in science.

“We named it after my high school physics teacher,” Bodenham said. “Mr. Jones was a very good teacher, not only because he was able to explain things well, but you could also tell that he was genuinely interested in science. I think that really inspired me.”

Bodenham told Jones the good news on a Zoom call.

“Geez, what an honor. What a privilege,” Jones responded.

You can watch a video of their exchange here.

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Main image: ©Matt Dempsey

• Jake Currie

  Published on February 18, 2026

  Jake Currie is a writer based in Brooklyn, New York.