DALLAS, July 20 (UPI) -- A rare fossil find suggests a prehistoric crocodile thought to have originated in Europe was in fact a native of the area that is now Texas, researchers say.

The scientific change of mind about the geographic origins of the genus known as Terminonaris is based on the identification of a well-preserved, narrow fossil snout that was discovered along the shoreline of a lake near Dallas, they said.


The 96 million-year-old Texas fossil is the oldest prehistoric crocodile of its kind in the world, said Southern Methodist University paleontologist Thomas L. Adams, who identified the reptile.

"With the recognition of Terminonaris here in Texas, this actually changes a lot about what we thought we knew about this group," Adams said.

Of the six other known Terminonaris fossil specimens, five are from North America and one is from Europe.

The European specimen, from Germany, was previously thought to be the oldest.

"Now we know the group had a wider distribution range, and that it's much older," Adams said.

"This is the first occurrence of Terminonaris in Texas. It's also the oldest occurrence of Terminonaris in the world, and it's also the southernmost occurrence of Terminonaris anywhere."

Based on the age of the European fossil, scientists had concluded Terminonaris originated in Europe and then traversed the Atlantic and dispersed throughout North America.

"Now we know Terminonaris most likely originated here in Texas and dispersed northward," Adams said.