COLUMBIA, Mo., Feb. 2 (UPI) -- U.S. researchers say they've identified a new species of prehistoric crocodile and dubbed it "Shieldcroc" due to a thick-skinned shield on its head.
"Aegisuchus witmeri or 'Shieldcroc' is the earliest ancestor of our modern crocodiles to be found in Africa," Casey Holliday, co-researcher and assistant professor of anatomy at the University of Missouri, said. "Along with other discoveries, we are finding that crocodile ancestors are far more diverse than scientists previously realized."