How long have crocodile relatives existed on Earth?

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Illustration of an estuarine or saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) with its mouth open, showing scaly skin and powerful limbs, alongside a scale bar for size reference. — crocodile Estuarine, or saltwater, crocodile (*Crocodylus porosus*), found in brackish waters from Sri Lanka, India, Bangladesh, and Myanmar east to the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu and south to Australia.

Crocodile relatives have existed on Earth for approximately 200 million to 237 million years, with fossil evidence dating back to the Late Triassic Epoch.31

These ancient ancestors, such as the Protosuchia, already possessed key characteristics of the archosaur group, including specific skull openings and a secondary bony palate. While these early forms had shorter muzzles, they established the foundational anatomy for the order Crocodylia, which has evolved through several major radiations over millions of years to include modern alligators, caimans, gavials, and "true crocodiles".123