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.
If you liked this video, please thumbs up and subscribe to the channel down below.
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