Hello and welcome back to Life’s Biggest
Questions, I’m Ron McKenzie-Lefurgey.
The Sarcosuchus, known colloquially as the
SuperCroc, was an enormous prehistoric creature,
a distant, indirect relative of the crocodile,
that lived over 100 million years ago.
These giant carnivores were killing machines
back in their day, but have since gone extinct.
But what if they did not, in fact, all die
out, but actually managed to survive to this
day?
Let’s explore.
If you want more What If videos, check out
our “Biggest What Ifs” playlist on the
channel.
Now get ready, it’s time to ask the question:
What if the Sarcosuchus Didn’t Go Extinct?
Description.
Sarcosuchus looked a good deal like a modern
crocodile, with a long, heavy body, with a
skull roughly the same length as a human adult,
75 percent of which was the snout.
Its eyes rolled up and down, rather than left
and right, implying that it spent most of
its time partially submerged, and likely hunted
in a similar fashion to modern crocodiles.
However, there were a number of characteristics
that differentiated them from modern crocs.
For one, Sarcosuchus had a snout ending in
a "bulla", which mystifies paleontologists
to this day.
It's believed that this could have increased
their sense of smell, used as a weapon, used
to attract mates, or even used to communicate.
Of course, if they were real, we would be
able to better determine why they had this.
But currently, scientists are unsure as to
its use.
They were also covered in osteoderms, armored
plates, from head to tail.
These osteoderms are they’re found on modern
crocodiles as well, but with a slight difference.
Modern crocodiles have a small gap in the
plates between their necks and the rest of
their body, giving them a bit of flexibility.
Sarcosuchus, on the other hand, had no such
break, with the only uncovered parts being
the tip of its tail and front of its head.
This lowered its flexibility but granted increased
defense.
Perhaps the most interesting part of the Sarcosuchus
was its incredible ability to continue growing
throughout its lifespan.
While modern crocs reach full adult size after
around 10 years, Sarcosuchus is believed to
have continued growing throughout life.
This was found by examining cross-sections
of bones from various specimens.
This allowed it to reach incredible lengths,
the largest croc we're aware of, reaching
as much as 40 feet in length.
They also weighed roughly 10 times more than
modern crocodiles, with some weighing over
10 tonnes.
I think I speak for everyone when I say…
Crikey!
So, clearly this creature would be terrifying
to run into, but how might the world be different
if they existed?
Well, as with many such creatures, the mere
existence of one more predator wouldn’t
change the human world too much.
We live largely outside of the food chain,
and would likely avoid them as much as possible,
but certain areas might see significant changes.
In those places, there would, of course, be
changes to the ecosystems with such a large
predator continuing to live, hunt, and breed.
Their enormous size allowed them to prey on
both fish and dinosaurs, and as time passed,
their diet would adapt, and they would begin
eating other creatures.
However, with over 100 million years’ worth
of evolution to account for, their effects
on ecosystems would be little more than a
guessing game.
So let’s look at some of the more predictable
effects of the survival of Sarcosuchus.
We know that the Sarcosuchus lived in what
is now the Sahara Desert.
Considering the Sahara is significantly drier
than it was in the time of the Sarcosuchus,
it might have evolved to be better suited
for dry environments.
Its body would change to be less suited for
floating in water, and more suited for staying
on land.
Its eyes might change so that they roll left
and right, for better land hunting.
Its legs and body would likely change as well,
becoming more agile and lighter, to make it
more proficient at moving and surviving on
land.
One aspect that would make the existence of
the sarcosuchus especially significant to
us is its ability to continue growing throughout
life.
If we managed to capture one, it’s possible
that we could extend its lifespan, and have
it grow even larger than the largest we’ve
seen.
In the wild, there are a number of factors
that lead to premature death of an organism.
But without food scarcity, or harsh weather,
or drought, and with the advantage of medical
care, there’s a good chance that we could
have a Sarco in captivity that grew even longer
than 40 feet, even reaching 50 or 60 feet.
This might see various zoos and attractions
competing to have the largest one, in hopes
of drawing the largest crowds.
This croc-measuring contest – to repeat,
that phrase was CROC-measuring – would attract
a wide variety of spectators, and could be
highly lucrative to the winner.
It should be noted that this ability is not
unique to Sarcosuchus.
A number of animals have exhibited this indeterminate
growth, even some who live today.
Many fish, amphibians, lizards, and snakes
are among this group, as well as certain mammals
like kangaroos, whose skeletons never stop
growing.
However, if ever there was an animal that
would be awesome to see grow to a giant size,
and would inspire zoo owners to compare crocs,
I think Sarcosuchus is that animal.
To quote Family Guy,
And now we return to our question: What if
the Sarcosuchus Didn’t Go Extinct?
Well, of course, with over 100 million years
to account for, we can’t know every effect
they might have on the world.
However, if they remained in the Sahara, they
would likely need to adapt to the much drier
climate, depending less on the water to live.
Also, because of their ability to grow throughout
life, not to mention their fierce, and frankly
awesome, looks, it’s possible that they
would become highly popular exhibits, with
many attempting to grow the largest Sarco
in the world.
Hopefully in a large habitat.
Because cages are lame.
Thank you for watching Life’s Biggest Questions,
I hope this was interesting and informative,
and maybe even inspired you to look into it
further on your own.
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While you’re down there, let me know if
you would like a pet Sarcosuchus.
Or tell me your favorite stories involving
Sarcos in the video game Ark.
I know there are Ark players out there.
Until next time, I’m Ron McKenzie-Lefurgey
with Life’s Biggest Questions, wishing you
the best of luck, on your quest for answers.
ow limbs, but look up if the sarcosuchus could
do that
