An artistic reconstruction of Alligator munensis. Image credit: Márton Szabó.
SciNews has a story about the discovery of a new species of extinct alligator. Alligator munensis lived at least as recently as about 230,000 years ago in what is now Thailand. This newly identified species is closely related to the Chinese alligator Alligator sinensis. A nearly complete skull of A. munensis was found at the Ban Si Liam locality in the Thai province of Nakhon Ratchasima. The description was published in the journal Scientific Reports.
The researchers identified several skull features that are unique to Alligator munensis, including a broad and short snout, a tall skull, reduced number of tooth sockets and nostrils that are positioned far from the tip of the snout.
They also noted similarities between the skulls of Alligator munensis and the Chinese alligator, such as the presence of a small opening in the roof the mouth, a ridge on the top of the skull, and a raised ridge behind the nostrils.
