Crocodile death roll was used by reptile's fearsome ancestors 80 million years ago as they hunted dinosaurs

Study proves ancient species' skulls could withstand pressure needed to carry out the deadly move

Giant predators were able to bring down carnivores similar to the T-Rex

The crocodile's fearsome death roll is a hunting technique the reptiles have been using since the age of the dinosaurs.



New findings show that ancient ancestors of the saltwater crocodile were capable of using the rolling tactic to rip flesh from dinosaurs, including those similar to the T-Rex.

Bite marks found on fossils suggest that species such as the deinosuchus - known as North America's terrible crocodile - were able to lock on to large dinosaurs before killing them.



Ferocious: The deinosuchus, which roamed Earth 80 million years ago, was capable of putting dinosaurs such as the albertosaurus in a death roll

In a hunting style replicated today, the reptiles would clamp their powerful jaws around their prey, before tearing off flesh by using the weight of their spinning body.



The hunting technique puts a lot of pressure on the predator's skull, but a study to compare the skulls of 16 living species and three extinct ones found that it was possible in the ancient and huge crocodiles.

Two of the ancient species - the deinosuchus which roamed North America 80 million years ago, and the purussauraus, which lurked in the swaps of South America - were able to use the death roll, researchers said.

The deinosuchus, which grew to nearly 40ft and weighed up to 18,700lb, was able to even bring down medium-sized dinosaurs such as theropods, which is the same group the T-Rex belonged to, according to Live Science.



The purussaurus, which was 42ft long and weighed 22,000lb, would have used the death roll as it hunted giant rodents and turtles more than 8 million years ago.



Killer move: Scientists examined the skull of a deinosuchus to prove it was possible for the 'terrible crocodile' to carry out a death roll

Fearsome: The deinosuchus and purussaurus, shown second and third from top, used the same hunting tactics as the modern saltwater crocodile, pictured at the bottom of this size chart

However, the oldest species included in the study, which roamed Africa and South America about 110 million years ago, was not able to use a death roll.



Scientists found that the bone structure of the sarcosuchus, which was 37ft long and weighed 17,600lb, could not withstand the pressure the hunting style put on the skull.



Although it was capable of bringing down large prey, the ancient reptile's narrow snout restricted its abilities.

To give an idea of how the ancient reptiles measured up to their modern cousin, the saltwater crocodile grows to about 23ft and weighs more than 2,200lb.



Known as the world's largest and most aggressive reptile, the Australian species eats cattle, attacks sharks, and has even killed people

Ancient skills: The saltwater crocodile uses the same hunting style as its ancestors did in the age of dinosaurs

While the ancient crocodiles grew to a fearsome size, researchers believe the death roll move was easier for a youngster to carry out.



' It is possible that very large specimens use other approaches for taking chunks of meat from large vertebrates,' Ernesto Blanco, lead author of the study that was published in Historical Biology, said.



The researcher from Uruguay added that it is possible the ancient crocodiles just swallowed their prey whole.

