Crocodile Predation

[rjmeyer@ix.netcom.com (Rob Meyerson)]

The current rehashing of the infamous "Was Rex a Hunter" debate has lead me to 
a wierd idea (big shock, huh?).

In a hypothetical scenario, let's say that the crocodilyans(sp) went extinct at 
the K-T Boundary.  What would modern paleontologists say about the predatory 
abilities of your average croc, based on skeletal information?  Would people 
clamor about how the crocs couldn't possibly be active hunters, especially if 
they had to compete with the theropods?

My point is that crocs are actually fearsome and highly effective predators in 
the fluvial environments where they live, using the nuances of the environment 
to give them an advantage over their potential prey.  The Nile and Australian 
species are especially good at being active hunters of big game.  Because of 
this, we have no problem seeing a Mesozoic croc taking down a herbivorous 
dinosaur.

IMHO, Rex also could've used the nuances of it's environment to give it an 
advantage over it's prey.

Comments or rebuttals?


Shalom,

Rob Meyerson

***
Early bird gets the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.