Sivertsen

Introducing to ragnarok Suchomimus (Greek for "crocodile mimic"); pronounced SOO-ko-MIME-us Habitat: Lakes and rivers of Africa Historical Period: Middle Cretaceous (120-10 million years ago) Size and Weight: Up to 40 feet long and six tons Diet: Fish and meat Distinguishing Characteristics: Long, crocodilian snout with backward-pointing teeth; long arms; ridge on back About Suchomimus A relatively recent addition to the dinosaur bestiary, the first (and to date only) fossil of Suchomimus was discovered in Africa in 1997, by a team headed by the noteworthy American paleontologist Paul Sereno. Its name, "crocodile mimic," refers to this dinosaur's long, toothy, distinctly crocodilian snout, which it probably used to snap fish out of the rivers and streams of the then-lush northern Sahara region of Africa (the Sahara didn't become dry and dusty until a sudden shift in climate 5,000 years ago). The relatively long arms of Suchomimus, which it likely dipped into the water to spear passing fish, are another clue that this dinosaur subsisted on a mostly marine diet, perhaps supplemented by scavenging abandoned carcasses. Classified as a "spinosaur," Suchomimus was similar to a few other large theropods of the middle Cretaceous period, including (you guessed it) the gigantic Spinosaurus, probably the largest carnivorous dinosaur that ever lived, as well as slightly smaller meat-eaters like Carcharodontosaurus

Suchomimus.docx