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Description

Since its appearance and great expansion in the late Triassic, the Crocodylomorpha have been, apart of the dinosaurs, one of the most diverse groups of Archosauriformes that have existed, being able to conquer land and ocean, but, with the passage of time many of these forms became extinct, and irredeemably leaving at the Holocene just about 2 dozen species around the planet.

Some see these big saurians as relics of a forgotten era, but actually are true survivors, pioneers of resistance capable of withstanding the worst extinctions and later expand to achieve the empty niches. And now we see what they are capable.

Note: what we will see are just some examples and WIP, not all groups will appear, and that could probably are subject to change in both their names, characteristics and their role in the future project updates.

The subsequent start

Let's start by giving an overview of what would be the next 145 million years in the future for crocodiles.

We will not entertain, with species that will exist during this period; it will be in the future visits of their respective eras. In this text we tell briefly the general and probably announce some few types of future crocodiles along the narration.

Since the end of the age of mankind until the end of the quaternary (in 39 million years), the crocodiles had experienced a small but circumstantial boom, this thanks for the global warming of the climate. It increased its range, allowing them to colonize the coastal and lake areas of Europe, and northwestern of Asia.

In South America occurred a short considerable expansion of crocodilians (derived from alligators), which had begun to venture into a fully terrestrial life, adopting predator niches.

This attempt is suddenly interrupted by the end of the quaternary, triggered by an asteroid that impacts in the Northeast Asia, near Siberia, causing the extinction of half of terrestrial life.

Crocodiles had no problem to this type of event, even was one of the reasons why allow them to be successful in the future. One of the two types of crocodiles survived the event were, alligators, especially some of the terrestrial forms that proliferated in several advanced forms, similar to the nothosuchia, competing in niche against mammalian predators. In the Pacific, along the coasts of Indonesia and Australia other crocodilians were the other way, taking the ocean and adapt to fully aquatic forms.

For the next 100 million years, isolation in South America led the bases for the rise of some new family of crocodiles, several upright and meso-thermal metabolism positions. Some of these species settled everything for the birth of a new family, as we will call as Caenocrura.

In the oceans the aquatic groups have specialized to its niches, to some extent lose some features of their ancestors as the armored deck and changing hands in functional fins.

The big blow, and the new generation.

In the late Cenozoic (144 million years), the largest mass extinction event occurs, since the Cretaceous/Paleogene event.

Around the Arabian Peninsula arise a plume Earth's mantle, which degenerated into a massive eruption of basalt, wiping out the entire area around and plunging the earth into a large-scale ecological catastrophe for more than a million years arise. During this event, about 80% of terrestrial life was extinct, and that 80% were many different Cenozoic crocodiles. A few million years later, the surviving organisms began to fill vacant niches.

At this point, several of the families of today's crocodiles that had survived until the end of Cenozoic, are extinct, but new variants have emerged, many of these with different behaviors, shapes and sizes.

The new Crocodylomorphs experienced the same type of variation were Triassic counterparts.

Barasarcus, An early butcher.

The Barasarcus (heavy meat) is one of the alpha predators the plains of Patagonia during Haemonova period (166 million years), reaching up to 7 meters length and 300 kg of weight.

It belongs to a family of various omnivores known as "Aplacoderma" (No skin plate) characterized by loss of osteoderms in most of his body, resulting in less weight and thus higher speed. Its skin has a change, almost smooth, rough and irregular like leather. It is quite fast, reaching speeds up to 60 km / hour. Their diet consists of mammals, birds and medium sized Crocodylomorpha

Hoplogravis, shielded of several parts.

One of the earliest megafaunal animals in the Haemonova , the genus Hoplogravis (Heavy Armor) comply middle herbivores of about 3 meters long, with a weight of 500 kg.

It belongs to the family of the Euplasuchia (Crocodile with good plate); the majority of their members are large and heavy armed herbivores, with erect legs between the lengths of 2 to 6 meters long. They live mainly between forested areas and bushes; feed primarily the average vegetation (shrubs and saplings).

Tenucollis strange variant in a familiar niche

(Slender neck)

This water crocodylomorph represents one of several early conquerors of the oceans. They belong to a marine family known as Nectosuchia, these have to some extent resemble to some of the extinct aquatic diapsid, with the long neck, small head and stocky body. This genus lives in the newly formed shores of the Baikal Ocean during the Agerogene period (215 million years). They are active piscivores, hunt mainly at sea, coming to dive to 300 meters.

Isoarcheus, a new memory of the past

(Same as the old)

Among the evolutionary innovations, some species continue to progress, and other, it seems that eventually retook the original niche of their ancestors.

The Isoarcheus a semi-aquatic predator of 6 meters long, similar to crocodiles Cenozoic appearance, however, differs significantly from the structure of the hip is more erect., Plus some features of the skull and dentition. The position gives a slightly unusual appearance, with legs under the body rather than the sides.

A different posture

Order Caenocrura

The caenocruras (New leg) are a new order apart from crocodylomorphs, emerged during the Optimacene (65-100 million years) are distant descendants of South American caimans, of a line made up of small omnivorous generalists; They became a successful group in early therozoic in the same continent, and after, they expanded outside South America during the Baikaceous period (166-215 million years) with the formation of temporary land bridges that connected with North America.

The outstanding and innovative in this new type of arcosauromorfos it was the reconfiguration of the hip bones and limbs, almost similarly to what happened to the Avemetatarsalia. The most primitive species have a slight perforation in the acetabulum, which is the concave depression in the part of hip bone receiving the rounded end of the femur, but femurs developed a head which fits squarely from the sides. In more advanced species the acetabulum, it is completely perforated.

At the same time, this led to the reconfiguration of the ankle. The limbs lengthened, with the tibia and fibula, longer than the femur; the femoral head flies to within the hip; reduced ankle joint that looks like a hinge; the long fingers of the hind legs and digitigrade foot position, in which the only ones that touch the ground are the fingers, not the foot sole.

This change to a large extent not only allowed them to develop a more efficient upright position, also allowed bipedalism in several lineages, but later others developed a quadruped walking and in some cases both types of locomotion. Another feature that highlights this group has been the emergence of integument filaments, initially for thermoregulation but over time changed their function in some clades.

All of two legs

Suborder Deuterothera

The Deuterothera (Second Beast) are a clade of Caenocrura that appeared in the middle, of the Haemonova (150 million years) period but they were expanded and started occupying important ecological niches end of this same period (200 million years).

The body plan is based on bipedalism, with short forelimbs; the hands have about 5 fingers in the most ancient species but are reduced depending on the species; the hind limbs of the majority, are adapted for a quick walk, with a short femur and long tibia, but in more advanced age groups and specialized this characteristics change depending on their behavior, and their feet have 4 fingers that used to support.

There are around 6 families, of which differed by the shape of its columns and hips.

Family Pelecorhynchidae, covering beak

(Beak plates)

They are the most basal of all the suborder, being the first species small bipedal predators like the theropods, however overhanging the development of "small lip plates" which in later species led to spikes or specialized mouthparts. These pieces had food functionality, but in many species, the mouthparts began to be used for various purposes, both as a defense, as exhibition.

Over time many of them changed dramatically, acquiring different aspects of their morphology and anatomy, such as loss of teeth, leg length, the number of fingers, etc. This led to the origin of all subsequent families of to the Pelecorhynchidae

Specimen exhibited: Corythodontus (Corythodon binodon)

It is a kind of ambush predator of 3 meters long that live in the North America forests. They are diurnal, usually solitary habits, and meet with it's similar at a time of mating. Its snout has an interesting configuration, since the tip is covered by a beak made of keratin stratum, and while behind of the skull, there are a number of canine teeth (two of which are off of the jaw) and molars are located.

Family Scelibradyidae a unique posture

(Slow Leg)

The Scelibrads are a family of Deuterothera characterized by their unusual morphology, the position of its spine is upright and bends, their torsos are wide, with short legs and little suited to run, something very similar to the Therizinosaurs, however, Unlike them they have a heterodont jaw with incisors, canines and molars well defined. The first species had an omnivorous behavior, something like to ursids, but as time progresses many of the species derived into herbivorous diets, some of them evolved into large forms.

Specimen exhibited: Hybospondylus monochroma

The Hybospondylus, belongs to one of several oldest genera of this family can be found, who lived in the middle Baikaceous (180 m) period in North America. The monochroma is native to the Alaska Mountains, characterized by a remarkable pattern of spots covering his whole body, which are among large concentric stripes and spots in the middle of the back.

Family Hymenomollidae, fold on the sides

(Soft membrane)

The Hymenomollids are small and agile Deuterothera considered among one of the most successful families during Therozoic. His gait is bipedal like most of their cousins, but can take turns in quadrupeds. They are characterized mainly by the development of a thick membrane along their forelimbs and sides of the chest.

This is curious because it seems that at first these folds, helped to glide, but over time many descendants of these abandoned this type of use, but retained the skin membrane, for different purposes.

Specimen exhibited: Wingfold cyan (Patagipteroides cyano)

The Wingfold are Hymenomollids of 60 cm long that retain the ability to glide, allowing them to travel the steep valleys of eastern Asia. They are small carnivores, capable of feeding on any vertebrate that may come up. They tend to gather in large groups of hundreds of individuals, which somehow socialize and help each other, sometimes placing warning of predators or comfortable areas where they can nest. The bottom of their membranes is colored a bright blue which is normally used as a sign of age.

Familiar convergence?

Suborder Auspictidae, the new kings of the air

(Appearance of a bird)

Being the closest relatives of birds do not be surprised if one could evolve convergently, right?

The Auspictida, are a variation of Caenocrura in which most of it’s specialized in flight. Its origin is located in the Haemonova (160 million years) from arboreal ancestors who successively modified their limbs for the flight, expanding on the planet and sharing the sky with birds, and after a time, occupying most of their ecological roles. They are the fourth type of vertebrates to develop the ability to fly. Its limbs have evolved into membranous wings, with two fingers of the hand hypertrophied.

Also, there is another variant of the wing very peculiar, since it is not only formed by the membrane but also by a cover specialized tegument covering the majority of the edge of this, and forming together an extension of the limb.

Family Pneumocheiridae

(Air Hand)

Also generically called "Airgats" are small Auspictids which are characterized by having completely membranous wings, with the second finger and the small and the first is fully extended.

They are as a family of transition as they have both primitive and advanced features, still has a long tail; has lost most of his teeth, replaced by a beak.

Specimen exhibited: Palm Airgat (Pneumocheirus folimansus)

It is an endemic inhabitant of one of several islands in the equatorial area in the Agerogene (215-266 million years), feeds the massive arthropods that live among the branches of palm-like trees.

It has an average length between 1.5 meters long with a wingspan of two meters.

It is clumsy when it comes to long flight, barely able to cover distances of several hundred meters, this thanks to the disproportionate length of his body and weight compared to its wings. However, it is probably the heaviest of primitive Airgat able to fly, because it has a weight of 18 kg.

It is quite unique as it is one of the most long-lived of all its family, getting to have a life expectancy of almost 100 years; this is because its metabolism has reversed one endothermic, ectothermic one.

Will history repeat?

Inevitably, everything that has evolved on this planet will not be destined to exist forever, it is only destined to last for a while, depending on how it has managed to adapt to each environment; for most of the new Archosauriformes the extinction is inevitable, as it was for most of the Mesozoic relatives.

The Therozoic was the heyday for Caenocrura, enjoying almost the same diversity that obtained dinosaurs and others in the Mesozoic , however, everything has to end, and in this case, these advanced crocodiles reign ended with a mass catastrophe also left as a result 70% of extinct living organisms, and thus, leaving only few specialists with some survivors.

Entering the final era of the Phanerozoic, the Phinizoic, the catastrophe of the late "Therozoic" only left as survivors several small Deuterothera and some Auspictidae, which for several million years they became in some areas of the planet's dominant wildlife, acquiring new and more aberrant forms.

However, they began to lose ground when the distant descendants of mammals and derivatives squamata now began to spread around the planet. It is only a matter of time before everything goes downhill, but these beings will not give up so easily.

Suborder Auspictidae

Family Ungulapteridae, not more flight.

(Hoofed wing)

Some millions of years, added to certain environments allowed some of the Auspictids leave the flight to adapt to life as terrestrial animals, and this is how some of them evolved into Ungulaptera. The Ungulaptera appeared in the late Metamonus period (349 million years) derived from a type of short-tailed Auspictids these first basal forms were flightless quadrupedal omnivores, with only a meter long, but after a few million years were expanded, evolving most in graceful herbivores.

Their wings or rather fingers and the membrane between them have been reduced to the point of disappearing. The tips of her fingers have changed, now its claws have been derived into hooves.

These strange animals are characterized by bony horns present in both genders, which vary in shapes and sizes, but habitat and behavior define the shape of the horns.

Species Exposed: Ngoubouhorn (Gacellopoda hexacerata)

This is one of the common ruminants and grazers of the dry plains and forested areas of Africa, the Appalachians and eastern Eurasia and is one of the most prominent animals in the Retrogeian (439 million years). Normally they live in flocks of hundreds of individuals. The m are arranged to mate each year, choosing to partner with which breed about 4 offspring.

Like most of their relatives, they have a unique configuration of horns, exactly 3 pairs of horns: 2 overhead, two under the jaw, and two in the sides.

Notes that the side one is divided into 2 parts giving the appearance of having 4 horns but in reality, these two pairs is only a couple.

Order Acropodomorpha, eccentric higher

The "Acropodomorpha"(High leg form) are formed by strange bipedal with big legs, but with very small front limbs. Most have a size between the 2 and 4 meters high. Their bodies are compact, with large heads relative to their bodies. Its skin has little visible integument, almost absent, being naked with a scaly texture, but in fact are actually skin roughness. As the name implies, they have huge legs compared to your body that allow them both to run at high speeds and go quite high vegetation areas.

Specimen exhibited: Sylvanocornis (Sylvapoda cyanochromus)

The Sylvanocornis (Horn Forest) is probably the most prominent of all herbivores that can be found.

It has a large horn that extends diagonally over the head with a small polygonal ridge is present in the both sexes, being the thicker and shorter females used for self-defense and fighting. An interesting sexual dimorphism stands out because each gender has a different color head. Males boast vivid colors blue, while females are characterized by green and yellow colors. The tone of the heads says enough of the health and age of the animal, when the colors are more lighted, will mean that it is a healthy young.

Order Diploavia, double wing.

(Two birds)

These are advanced Tree-dweller Deuterothera of long limbs and stocky body. Its head is long, with a narrow jaw and heterodont teeth. Its eyes are binoculars so have a good visual perception of their environment. The manner, in which the bones of the shoulder and hip are configured with the limbs and joints of the hands and feet, gives them great flexibility, very similar to the primates.

Another special feature of these has been the evolution of branched integument very similar to the feathers of birds, but unlike these, only certain Diploavia species use it more to glide for short periods in the air and not to fly.

This Order had emerged by the isolation caused by the separation of the Appalachian area of the rest of the great continent, occurred early Agerogene (215 million years), but the group itself did not appear until the Metamonus period (349 million years).

When Appalachian struck the southwest of Africa (Mid-Retrogeian, in 390 million years) the Diploavia expanded in the west of Hysterea supercontinent becoming one of the largest and most prominent arboreal vertebrates, only held back by certain geographical barriers and competition.

Specimen exhibited: Reddish Chamrosh (Cynoavis microptera)

The Reddish Chamrosh is a glider that can be found between the tops of the jungles of the Appalachians. Is one meter long and weighs 15 kg. Its plumage has a brown-orange, color with a prominent redness around the back of his head to the neck. Its rugged appearance is due to the thick plumage that covers most of your body. His later "wings" are short and rounded at the edges, while the former have a greater length and ending in a point.

They are diurnal omnivores, with a diet based on insects, fruits, small vertebrates, mollusks etc.

Order Cephaloketa, back into the water

(Head whale)

During its radiation Various Deuterothera began adapt to life as semi-aquatic creatures and in a few tens of millions of years have adapted to life at sea.

The Cephaloketa are the most eccentric far marine crocodile descendants we can find, because unlike others, they have changed the structure of their heads to suit their food source.

Its reproduction is still oviparous, so females are forced to nest on the ground. In several species of large, they have a quite radical sexual dimorphism, with the males who develop a large, while females only exceed 3 meters long. Its name refers to its remarkable cranial features, which are somewhat similar to that of their name counterparts.

Family Beelzebuccalidae, ocean nightmare with teeth.

(Devil's Mouth)

The Beelezebucle (shortening its name) is one of the major marine predators of the early Phinizoic era. The jaw turns out to be a strange combination of dentures, made only to dismember, as they have two rows of teeth. The first rows of teeth is quite prominent and protruding from the jaw at the front, are made to hold and tear prey; and second rows that are inside the jaw, these are shorter and drawings, made to grind meat.

Specimen exhibited: Necavognathus caedivitus

(Killer group of life murderers)

This analogous to orcas or Pliosaurs are small and agile predators of 4 meters in length that inhabit shallow coastal areas. They are active and ferocious predators that travel in groups of 10 individuals, who work together to bring down the prey and so get food. Its short jaw is made especially for the fight and the struggle with 12 external teeth and 100 internal teeth.

Ctenosodontidae family, friendly filtering

(Tooth comb)

The counterpart of the Beelezebucils, are gentle and varied filtering. They show a remarkable change its cousin’s predators. They are characterized by their strange and derived heads, which consists largely of muscle tissue and cartilage, which gives it its strange appearance. They have two rows of small blades keratin covering the sides of the lower jaw, and a single row that covers the top of the jaw in the mouth.

Specimen exhibited: Balemus (Baleonostomus longa)

(Long whale mouth)

The Balemus is a great Ctenosodotids that lives in the open sea, feeds the huge groups of crustaceans that inhabit several tens of meters deep, making dives lasting several minutes. They can hold their breath for more than 2 hours. The males reach a length of between 10 to 12 meters in length, while females can measure up to 6 meters, while females can measure up to 6 meters. They have a stocky body and long, huge front flippers that allow them to be promoted, while the rear flippers are smaller.

When it comes to nest, they exhibit a complex behavior: after laid eggs on land, females remain around the nesting area where they wait until the eggs hatch (In the sea, near of the coast). Quickly, they will cling to the coast and the young who are nearby. During this moment, it is probably vulnerable to terrestrial predators, but has a strange technique of defense: regurgitate their food around them which has a horrible smell, which can repel even the most vicious carnivores.

Far from the known crocodiles

In mid Phinizoic, various descendants of the crocodiles had to face the formation and separation of a new supercontinent, known as "hysterea" that caused more damage to these lineages, leading to the extinction of many of these, leaving few survivors.

Following separation of the supercontinent, Caenocrura the few who remained soon took advantage of the temporary void to dominate their respective parts, but in this case its expansion was slowly reduced. While they are recovering, the far derived squamata and the mammals are began to diversify and occupy most ecological niches, leaving the survivors caenocruras relegated to crawling animals, just with a few vestiges of the oldest families in some isolated land masses.

In the farthest journey made by these amniotes tetrapods, changes are noticeable; the path followed has led to a form, very derived from their ancestors. In the case of the crocodiles, many uninterrupted divergence ending in a descendant, very unrecognizable, unfamiliar to what we would recognize as such being.

Order Telesuchida, the last of all.

(Far Crocodile)

The Telesuchids are clade very derived from the "Deuterothera", one of the last living descendants of these. They are nocturnal small omnivores, some barely outstanding the meter of long.

They appeared during the Retrogeian be one of the last families before the full formation of the supercontinent hysterea. They managed to survive the harsh conditions throughout the period until separation of the supercontinent. Note that had their heyday in the late period and early Retrogeian Klastogeian.

Most Telesuchids died during minor extinction event caused by the Continental Divide, leaving only a remnant of those in the northern hemisphere.

They are characterized by a derivative of hypertrophied teeth on the front of the jaw, like a beak (incisors); its front legs have three fingers while back legs contain four fingers.

At this point they have lost some morphological characteristics of diapsid skull, including the reduction of the superior temporal fossa, and its movement to the back of the skull.

Specimen exhibited: Engyrhynchus porphyrocephalus

This is one of the largest Telesuchida, which inhabits isolated in a group of islands in the northern hemisphere. They are quadrupedal plantigrades of 75cm long, stocky body with long legs and a short tail. Its body is covered by a lot of integument similar to hair that lets keep retain its temperature during winter nights.

This "fur" is colored with different shades of green, and the head has a strong purple coloration. This color is only present in adult females.

¿Survive or die?

The closure of the Phanerozoic marks the end of the road, and what follows only cause the destruction of the earth to the point of wiping out the entire line of beings that have survived from the Cambrian. This will be the turning point in the creatures that inhabit the face of the earth, will face radical change, and if they survive, will have a chance to claim the planet.

However, they are very few who could withstand. And this is where we come to a point where leaves the question: What will bring them to the last "crocodiles"?

Some of the small Telesuchids have the potential to survive because they are quite adaptable to whatever means are present, have a varied diet, feeding from insects, vegetation, carrion; some are able to hibernate and endure months without feeding.

In the end nothing it is certain, there is only a small probability, however, the time and the environment will decide, and unfortunately, there is not much time left.

Description

Since its appearance and great expansion in the late Triassic, the Crocodylomorpha have been, apart of the dinosaurs, one of the most diverse groups of Archosauriformes that have existed, being able to conquer land and ocean, but, with the passage of time many of these forms became extinct, and irredeemably leaving at the Holocene just about 2 dozen species around the planet.

Some see these big saurians as relics of a forgotten era, but actually are true survivors, pioneers of resistance capable of withstanding the worst extinctions and later expand to achieve the empty niches. And now we see what they are capable.

Note: what we will see are just some examples and WIP, not all groups will appear, and that could probably are subject to change in both their names, characteristics and their role in the future project updates.

The subsequent start

Let's start by giving an overview of what would be the next 145 million years in the future for crocodiles.

We will not entertain, with species that will exist during this period; it will be in the future visits of their respective eras. In this text we tell briefly the general and probably announce some few types of future crocodiles along the narration.

Since the end of the age of mankind until the end of the quaternary (in 39 million years), the crocodiles had experienced a small but circumstantial boom, this thanks for the global warming of the climate. It increased its range, allowing them to colonize the coastal and lake areas of Europe, and northwestern of Asia.

In South America occurred a short considerable expansion of crocodilians (derived from alligators), which had begun to venture into a fully terrestrial life, adopting predator niches.

This attempt is suddenly interrupted by the end of the quaternary, triggered by an asteroid that impacts in the Northeast Asia, near Siberia, causing the extinction of half of terrestrial life.

Crocodiles had no problem to this type of event, even was one of the reasons why allow them to be successful in the future. One of the two types of crocodiles survived the event were, alligators, especially some of the terrestrial forms that proliferated in several advanced forms, similar to the nothosuchia, competing in niche against mammalian predators. In the Pacific, along the coasts of Indonesia and Australia other crocodilians were the other way, taking the ocean and adapt to fully aquatic forms.

For the next 100 million years, isolation in South America led the bases for the rise of some new family of crocodiles, several upright and meso-thermal metabolism positions. Some of these species settled everything for the birth of a new family, as we will call as Caenocrura.

In the oceans the aquatic groups have specialized to its niches, to some extent lose some features of their ancestors as the armored deck and changing hands in functional fins.

The big blow, and the new generation.

In the late Cenozoic (144 million years), the largest mass extinction event occurs, since the Cretaceous/Paleogene event.

Around the Arabian Peninsula arise a plume Earth's mantle, which degenerated into a massive eruption of basalt, wiping out the entire area around and plunging the earth into a large-scale ecological catastrophe for more than a million years arise. During this event, about 80% of terrestrial life was extinct, and that 80% were many different Cenozoic crocodiles. A few million years later, the surviving organisms began to fill vacant niches.

At this point, several of the families of today's crocodiles that had survived until the end of Cenozoic, are extinct, but new variants have emerged, many of these with different behaviors, shapes and sizes.

The new Crocodylomorphs experienced the same type of variation were Triassic counterparts.

Barasarcus, An early butcher.

The Barasarcus (heavy meat) is one of the alpha predators the plains of Patagonia during Haemonova period (166 million years), reaching up to 7 meters length and 300 kg of weight.

It belongs to a family of various omnivores known as "Aplacoderma" (No skin plate) characterized by loss of osteoderms in most of his body, resulting in less weight and thus higher speed. Its skin has a change, almost smooth, rough and irregular like leather. It is quite fast, reaching speeds up to 60 km / hour. Their diet consists of mammals, birds and medium sized Crocodylomorpha

Hoplogravis, shielded of several parts.

One of the earliest megafaunal animals in the Haemonova , the genus Hoplogravis (Heavy Armor) comply middle herbivores of about 3 meters long, with a weight of 500 kg.

It belongs to the family of the Euplasuchia (Crocodile with good plate); the majority of their members are large and heavy armed herbivores, with erect legs between the lengths of 2 to 6 meters long. They live mainly between forested areas and bushes; feed primarily the average vegetation (shrubs and saplings).

Tenucollis strange variant in a familiar niche

(Slender neck)

This water crocodylomorph represents one of several early conquerors of the oceans. They belong to a marine family known as Nectosuchia, these have to some extent resemble to some of the extinct aquatic diapsid, with the long neck, small head and stocky body. This genus lives in the newly formed shores of the Baikal Ocean during the Agerogene period (215 million years). They are active piscivores, hunt mainly at sea, coming to dive to 300 meters.

Isoarcheus, a new memory of the past

(Same as the old)

Among the evolutionary innovations, some species continue to progress, and other, it seems that eventually retook the original niche of their ancestors.

The Isoarcheus a semi-aquatic predator of 6 meters long, similar to crocodiles Cenozoic appearance, however, differs significantly from the structure of the hip is more erect., Plus some features of the skull and dentition. The position gives a slightly unusual appearance, with legs under the body rather than the sides.

A different posture

Order Caenocrura

The caenocruras (New leg) are a new order apart from crocodylomorphs, emerged during the Optimacene (65-100 million years) are distant descendants of South American caimans, of a line made up of small omnivorous generalists; They became a successful group in early therozoic in the same continent, and after, they expanded outside South America during the Baikaceous period (166-215 million years) with the formation of temporary land bridges that connected with North America.

The outstanding and innovative in this new type of arcosauromorfos it was the reconfiguration of the hip bones and limbs, almost similarly to what happened to the Avemetatarsalia. The most primitive species have a slight perforation in the acetabulum, which is the concave depression in the part of hip bone receiving the rounded end of the femur, but femurs developed a head which fits squarely from the sides. In more advanced species the acetabulum, it is completely perforated.

At the same time, this led to the reconfiguration of the ankle. The limbs lengthened, with the tibia and fibula, longer than the femur; the femoral head flies to within the hip; reduced ankle joint that looks like a hinge; the long fingers of the hind legs and digitigrade foot position, in which the only ones that touch the ground are the fingers, not the foot sole.

This change to a large extent not only allowed them to develop a more efficient upright position, also allowed bipedalism in several lineages, but later others developed a quadruped walking and in some cases both types of locomotion. Another feature that highlights this group has been the emergence of integument filaments, initially for thermoregulation but over time changed their function in some clades.

All of two legs

Suborder Deuterothera

The Deuterothera (Second Beast) are a clade of Caenocrura that appeared in the middle, of the Haemonova (150 million years) period but they were expanded and started occupying important ecological niches end of this same period (200 million years).

The body plan is based on bipedalism, with short forelimbs; the hands have about 5 fingers in the most ancient species but are reduced depending on the species; the hind limbs of the majority, are adapted for a quick walk, with a short femur and long tibia, but in more advanced age groups and specialized this characteristics change depending on their behavior, and their feet have 4 fingers that used to support.

There are around 6 families, of which differed by the shape of its columns and hips.

Family Pelecorhynchidae, covering beak

(Beak plates)

They are the most basal of all the suborder, being the first species small bipedal predators like the theropods, however overhanging the development of "small lip plates" which in later species led to spikes or specialized mouthparts. These pieces had food functionality, but in many species, the mouthparts began to be used for various purposes, both as a defense, as exhibition.

Over time many of them changed dramatically, acquiring different aspects of their morphology and anatomy, such as loss of teeth, leg length, the number of fingers, etc. This led to the origin of all subsequent families of to the Pelecorhynchidae

Specimen exhibited: Corythodontus (Corythodon binodon)

It is a kind of ambush predator of 3 meters long that live in the North America forests. They are diurnal, usually solitary habits, and meet with it's similar at a time of mating. Its snout has an interesting configuration, since the tip is covered by a beak made of keratin stratum, and while behind of the skull, there are a number of canine teeth (two of which are off of the jaw) and molars are located.

Family Scelibradyidae a unique posture

(Slow Leg)

The Scelibrads are a family of Deuterothera characterized by their unusual morphology, the position of its spine is upright and bends, their torsos are wide, with short legs and little suited to run, something very similar to the Therizinosaurs, however, Unlike them they have a heterodont jaw with incisors, canines and molars well defined. The first species had an omnivorous behavior, something like to ursids, but as time progresses many of the species derived into herbivorous diets, some of them evolved into large forms.

Specimen exhibited: Hybospondylus monochroma

The Hybospondylus, belongs to one of several oldest genera of this family can be found, who lived in the middle Baikaceous (180 m) period in North America. The monochroma is native to the Alaska Mountains, characterized by a remarkable pattern of spots covering his whole body, which are among large concentric stripes and spots in the middle of the back.

Family Hymenomollidae, fold on the sides

(Soft membrane)

The Hymenomollids are small and agile Deuterothera considered among one of the most successful families during Therozoic. His gait is bipedal like most of their cousins, but can take turns in quadrupeds. They are characterized mainly by the development of a thick membrane along their forelimbs and sides of the chest.

This is curious because it seems that at first these folds, helped to glide, but over time many descendants of these abandoned this type of use, but retained the skin membrane, for different purposes.

Specimen exhibited: Wingfold cyan (Patagipteroides cyano)

The Wingfold are Hymenomollids of 60 cm long that retain the ability to glide, allowing them to travel the steep valleys of eastern Asia. They are small carnivores, capable of feeding on any vertebrate that may come up. They tend to gather in large groups of hundreds of individuals, which somehow socialize and help each other, sometimes placing warning of predators or comfortable areas where they can nest. The bottom of their membranes is colored a bright blue which is normally used as a sign of age.

Familiar convergence?

Suborder Auspictidae, the new kings of the air

(Appearance of a bird)

Being the closest relatives of birds do not be surprised if one could evolve convergently, right?

The Auspictida, are a variation of Caenocrura in which most of it’s specialized in flight. Its origin is located in the Haemonova (160 million years) from arboreal ancestors who successively modified their limbs for the flight, expanding on the planet and sharing the sky with birds, and after a time, occupying most of their ecological roles. They are the fourth type of vertebrates to develop the ability to fly. Its limbs have evolved into membranous wings, with two fingers of the hand hypertrophied.

Also, there is another variant of the wing very peculiar, since it is not only formed by the membrane but also by a cover specialized tegument covering the majority of the edge of this, and forming together an extension of the limb.

Family Pneumocheiridae

(Air Hand)

Also generically called "Airgats" are small Auspictids which are characterized by having completely membranous wings, with the second finger and the small and the first is fully extended.

They are as a family of transition as they have both primitive and advanced features, still has a long tail; has lost most of his teeth, replaced by a beak.

Specimen exhibited: Palm Airgat (Pneumocheirus folimansus)

It is an endemic inhabitant of one of several islands in the equatorial area in the Agerogene (215-266 million years), feeds the massive arthropods that live among the branches of palm-like trees.

It has an average length between 1.5 meters long with a wingspan of two meters.

It is clumsy when it comes to long flight, barely able to cover distances of several hundred meters, this thanks to the disproportionate length of his body and weight compared to its wings. However, it is probably the heaviest of primitive Airgat able to fly, because it has a weight of 18 kg.

It is quite unique as it is one of the most long-lived of all its family, getting to have a life expectancy of almost 100 years; this is because its metabolism has reversed one endothermic, ectothermic one.

Will history repeat?

Inevitably, everything that has evolved on this planet will not be destined to exist forever, it is only destined to last for a while, depending on how it has managed to adapt to each environment; for most of the new Archosauriformes the extinction is inevitable, as it was for most of the Mesozoic relatives.

The Therozoic was the heyday for Caenocrura, enjoying almost the same diversity that obtained dinosaurs and others in the Mesozoic , however, everything has to end, and in this case, these advanced crocodiles reign ended with a mass catastrophe also left as a result 70% of extinct living organisms, and thus, leaving only few specialists with some survivors.

Entering the final era of the Phanerozoic, the Phinizoic, the catastrophe of the late "Therozoic" only left as survivors several small Deuterothera and some Auspictidae, which for several million years they became in some areas of the planet's dominant wildlife, acquiring new and more aberrant forms.

However, they began to lose ground when the distant descendants of mammals and derivatives squamata now began to spread around the planet. It is only a matter of time before everything goes downhill, but these beings will not give up so easily.

Suborder Auspictidae

Family Ungulapteridae, not more flight.

(Hoofed wing)

Some millions of years, added to certain environments allowed some of the Auspictids leave the flight to adapt to life as terrestrial animals, and this is how some of them evolved into Ungulaptera. The Ungulaptera appeared in the late Metamonus period (349 million years) derived from a type of short-tailed Auspictids these first basal forms were flightless quadrupedal omnivores, with only a meter long, but after a few million years were expanded, evolving most in graceful herbivores.

Their wings or rather fingers and the membrane between them have been reduced to the point of disappearing. The tips of her fingers have changed, now its claws have been derived into hooves.

These strange animals are characterized by bony horns present in both genders, which vary in shapes and sizes, but habitat and behavior define the shape of the horns.

Species Exposed: Ngoubouhorn (Gacellopoda hexacerata)

This is one of the common ruminants and grazers of the dry plains and forested areas of Africa, the Appalachians and eastern Eurasia and is one of the most prominent animals in the Retrogeian (439 million years). Normally they live in flocks of hundreds of individuals. The m are arranged to mate each year, choosing to partner with which breed about 4 offspring.

Like most of their relatives, they have a unique configuration of horns, exactly 3 pairs of horns: 2 overhead, two under the jaw, and two in the sides.

Notes that the side one is divided into 2 parts giving the appearance of having 4 horns but in reality, these two pairs is only a couple.

Order Acropodomorpha, eccentric higher

The "Acropodomorpha"(High leg form) are formed by strange bipedal with big legs, but with very small front limbs. Most have a size between the 2 and 4 meters high. Their bodies are compact, with large heads relative to their bodies. Its skin has little visible integument, almost absent, being naked with a scaly texture, but in fact are actually skin roughness. As the name implies, they have huge legs compared to your body that allow them both to run at high speeds and go quite high vegetation areas.

Specimen exhibited: Sylvanocornis (Sylvapoda cyanochromus)

The Sylvanocornis (Horn Forest) is probably the most prominent of all herbivores that can be found.

It has a large horn that extends diagonally over the head with a small polygonal ridge is present in the both sexes, being the thicker and shorter females used for self-defense and fighting. An interesting sexual dimorphism stands out because each gender has a different color head. Males boast vivid colors blue, while females are characterized by green and yellow colors. The tone of the heads says enough of the health and age of the animal, when the colors are more lighted, will mean that it is a healthy young.

Order Diploavia, double wing.

(Two birds)

These are advanced Tree-dweller Deuterothera of long limbs and stocky body. Its head is long, with a narrow jaw and heterodont teeth. Its eyes are binoculars so have a good visual perception of their environment. The manner, in which the bones of the shoulder and hip are configured with the limbs and joints of the hands and feet, gives them great flexibility, very similar to the primates.

Another special feature of these has been the evolution of branched integument very similar to the feathers of birds, but unlike these, only certain Diploavia species use it more to glide for short periods in the air and not to fly.

This Order had emerged by the isolation caused by the separation of the Appalachian area of the rest of the great continent, occurred early Agerogene (215 million years), but the group itself did not appear until the Metamonus period (349 million years).

When Appalachian struck the southwest of Africa (Mid-Retrogeian, in 390 million years) the Diploavia expanded in the west of Hysterea supercontinent becoming one of the largest and most prominent arboreal vertebrates, only held back by certain geographical barriers and competition.

Specimen exhibited: Reddish Chamrosh (Cynoavis microptera)

The Reddish Chamrosh is a glider that can be found between the tops of the jungles of the Appalachians. Is one meter long and weighs 15 kg. Its plumage has a brown-orange, color with a prominent redness around the back of his head to the neck. Its rugged appearance is due to the thick plumage that covers most of your body. His later "wings" are short and rounded at the edges, while the former have a greater length and ending in a point.

They are diurnal omnivores, with a diet based on insects, fruits, small vertebrates, mollusks etc.

Order Cephaloketa, back into the water

(Head whale)

During its radiation Various Deuterothera began adapt to life as semi-aquatic creatures and in a few tens of millions of years have adapted to life at sea.

The Cephaloketa are the most eccentric far marine crocodile descendants we can find, because unlike others, they have changed the structure of their heads to suit their food source.

Its reproduction is still oviparous, so females are forced to nest on the ground. In several species of large, they have a quite radical sexual dimorphism, with the males who develop a large, while females only exceed 3 meters long. Its name refers to its remarkable cranial features, which are somewhat similar to that of their name counterparts.

Family Beelzebuccalidae, ocean nightmare with teeth.

(Devil's Mouth)

The Beelezebucle (shortening its name) is one of the major marine predators of the early Phinizoic era. The jaw turns out to be a strange combination of dentures, made only to dismember, as they have two rows of teeth. The first rows of teeth is quite prominent and protruding from the jaw at the front, are made to hold and tear prey; and second rows that are inside the jaw, these are shorter and drawings, made to grind meat.

Specimen exhibited: Necavognathus caedivitus

(Killer group of life murderers)

This analogous to orcas or Pliosaurs are small and agile predators of 4 meters in length that inhabit shallow coastal areas. They are active and ferocious predators that travel in groups of 10 individuals, who work together to bring down the prey and so get food. Its short jaw is made especially for the fight and the struggle with 12 external teeth and 100 internal teeth.

Ctenosodontidae family, friendly filtering

(Tooth comb)

The counterpart of the Beelezebucils, are gentle and varied filtering. They show a remarkable change its cousin’s predators. They are characterized by their strange and derived heads, which consists largely of muscle tissue and cartilage, which gives it its strange appearance. They have two rows of small blades keratin covering the sides of the lower jaw, and a single row that covers the top of the jaw in the mouth.

Specimen exhibited: Balemus (Baleonostomus longa)

(Long whale mouth)

The Balemus is a great Ctenosodotids that lives in the open sea, feeds the huge groups of crustaceans that inhabit several tens of meters deep, making dives lasting several minutes. They can hold their breath for more than 2 hours. The males reach a length of between 10 to 12 meters in length, while females can measure up to 6 meters, while females can measure up to 6 meters. They have a stocky body and long, huge front flippers that allow them to be promoted, while the rear flippers are smaller.

When it comes to nest, they exhibit a complex behavior: after laid eggs on land, females remain around the nesting area where they wait until the eggs hatch (In the sea, near of the coast). Quickly, they will cling to the coast and the young who are nearby. During this moment, it is probably vulnerable to terrestrial predators, but has a strange technique of defense: regurgitate their food around them which has a horrible smell, which can repel even the most vicious carnivores.

Far from the known crocodiles

In mid Phinizoic, various descendants of the crocodiles had to face the formation and separation of a new supercontinent, known as "hysterea" that caused more damage to these lineages, leading to the extinction of many of these, leaving few survivors.

Following separation of the supercontinent, Caenocrura the few who remained soon took advantage of the temporary void to dominate their respective parts, but in this case its expansion was slowly reduced. While they are recovering, the far derived squamata and the mammals are began to diversify and occupy most ecological niches, leaving the survivors caenocruras relegated to crawling animals, just with a few vestiges of the oldest families in some isolated land masses.

In the farthest journey made by these amniotes tetrapods, changes are noticeable; the path followed has led to a form, very derived from their ancestors. In the case of the crocodiles, many uninterrupted divergence ending in a descendant, very unrecognizable, unfamiliar to what we would recognize as such being.

Order Telesuchida, the last of all.

(Far Crocodile)

The Telesuchids are clade very derived from the "Deuterothera", one of the last living descendants of these. They are nocturnal small omnivores, some barely outstanding the meter of long.

They appeared during the Retrogeian be one of the last families before the full formation of the supercontinent hysterea. They managed to survive the harsh conditions throughout the period until separation of the supercontinent. Note that had their heyday in the late period and early Retrogeian Klastogeian.

Most Telesuchids died during minor extinction event caused by the Continental Divide, leaving only a remnant of those in the northern hemisphere.

They are characterized by a derivative of hypertrophied teeth on the front of the jaw, like a beak (incisors); its front legs have three fingers while back legs contain four fingers.

At this point they have lost some morphological characteristics of diapsid skull, including the reduction of the superior temporal fossa, and its movement to the back of the skull.

Specimen exhibited: Engyrhynchus porphyrocephalus

This is one of the largest Telesuchida, which inhabits isolated in a group of islands in the northern hemisphere. They are quadrupedal plantigrades of 75cm long, stocky body with long legs and a short tail. Its body is covered by a lot of integument similar to hair that lets keep retain its temperature during winter nights.

This "fur" is colored with different shades of green, and the head has a strong purple coloration. This color is only present in adult females.

¿Survive or die?

The closure of the Phanerozoic marks the end of the road, and what follows only cause the destruction of the earth to the point of wiping out the entire line of beings that have survived from the Cambrian. This will be the turning point in the creatures that inhabit the face of the earth, will face radical change, and if they survive, will have a chance to claim the planet.

However, they are very few who could withstand. And this is where we come to a point where leaves the question: What will bring them to the last "crocodiles"?

Some of the small Telesuchids have the potential to survive because they are quite adaptable to whatever means are present, have a varied diet, feeding from insects, vegetation, carrion; some are able to hibernate and endure months without feeding.

In the end nothing it is certain, there is only a small probability, however, the time and the environment will decide, and unfortunately, there is not much time left.