🦎 A crocodile that looked like an ostrich

A crocodile that looked like an ostrich and walked on two legs: that is what paleontologists have uncovered in Triassic rocks in New Mexico. This reptile, named Labrujasuchus expectatus, had a toothless beak, tiny arms, and moved on its hind legs. It had the appearance of a dinosaur, but it was actually a distant cousin of modern crocodiles. Proof that evolution loves to surprise.

The Triassic was a period of intense biological experimentation. The ancestors of many modern groups explored all sorts of forms and lifestyles. Some looked like animals we know today but belonged to completely different lineages. Among these strange creatures are tree-dwelling reptiles with sloth-like claws, armored aquatic reptiles, and now this curious bipedal crocodile relative. The diversity was astonishing.


Labrujasuchus expectatus belongs to a small group called Shuvosauridae. These reptiles, although close relatives of crocodiles, had adopted a theropod dinosaur look. Their bodies were adapted for bipedal walking, with reduced forelimbs. The toothless beak indicates a herbivorous or omnivorous diet. Only five species of shuvosaurs have been identified to date, making this discovery all the more important for understanding the evolution of these strange archosaurs.

The researchers note that this bipedalism is a case of convergent evolution. Dinosaurs and birds also took this path, successfully. Why did crocodile relatives evolve this way? Perhaps to occupy different ecological niches. In the Triassic, experiments were numerous, and some winning strategies were reinvented multiple times. Labrujasuchus shows that bipedalism is not exclusive to dinosaurs.

The Ghost Ranch site in New Mexico is a true paleontological treasure. It is where the fossils of Labrujasuchus were discovered, in the Hayden Quarry. This location, made famous by Georgia O'Keeffe's paintings, continues to yield exceptionally well-preserved Upper Triassic specimens. For twenty years, teams of paleontologists have excavated there every summer, gradually revealing the peculiarities of this distant era.

The species name reflects its history. Labrujasuchus means "witch crocodile," referring to the Spanish name for Ghost Ranch, "Ranchos de los Brujos." As for expectatus, it refers to the fact that paleontologists expected to find an intermediate species between two already known shuvosaurs. A nice way to show that the discovery was anticipated, but no less exciting.

Ghost Ranch remains a key site for studying the Triassic. Ongoing excavations led by the Dinosaur Institute of the NHMLAC promise many more discoveries. Each fossil adds a piece to the puzzle of this astonishing period, when crocodiles walked like birds and evolution seemed to have no limits. A reminder that the past still holds many surprises.

Convergent evolution

Convergent evolution is an intriguing phenomenon where unrelated species develop similar characteristics in response to comparable environmental constraints. For example, the wings of birds and those of bats have the same function (flying) but a different bone structure. The bipedal crocodile Labrujasuchus is another example: it adopted an upright posture like theropod dinosaurs, even though it belongs to a distinct lineage.

This process often occurs when different species exploit similar ecological niches. In the Triassic, many groups of archosaurs experimented with bipedalism, perhaps to run faster or free their forelimbs for other tasks. Convergence shows that evolution can take similar paths from different starting points, which explains why genetically distant animals can resemble each other.

The study of convergent evolution helps scientists understand the constraints and opportunities that shape life. It reveals how natural selection can lead to analogous solutions to the same challenges. In the case of Labrujasuchus, its resemblance to dinosaurs illustrates that bipedalism was a winning strategy multiple times, long before the appearance of birds.