Sarcosuchus imperator

fossil reptile

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

July 20, 2026

Quick Summary

Sarcosuchus imperator was a massive, extinct crocodilian that lived approximately 110 million years ago. This ancient reptile was one of the largest known crocodilians, reaching an estimated length of 12.2 meters (40 feet) and weighing around 7.2 tonnes (15,900 pounds). It is classified within the clade Crurotarsi, which includes modern crocodiles and their relatives. Fossil evidence suggests that some extinct crocodilians, like Sarcosuchus and Deinosuchus, were significantly larger than any living crocodile species today. Paleontologist Paul Sereno discovered a remarkably complete specimen of Sarcosuchus imperator in Niger.123

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

3 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

crurotarsan
Sarcosuchus imperator, which lived about 110 million years ago, was even larger, growing to 12.2 metres (40 feet) long and weighing about 7.2 tonnes (about 15,900 pounds).
Read More
Sarcosuchus imperator, which lived about 110 million years ago, was even larger, growing to 12.2 metres (40 feet) long and weighing about 7.2 tonnes (about 15,900 pounds).
Read More

Paul Sereno
…a remarkably complete specimen of Sarcosuchus imperator, the largest known crocodilian at approximately 12.2 metres (40 feet) long. Also of note was the discovery of several major Cretaceous carnivores, including Eocarchia dinops, a hunter, and Kryptops palaios, a scavenger. During this expedition, Sereno and his colleagues discovered a Neolithic human…
Read More
…a remarkably complete specimen of Sarcosuchus imperator, the largest known crocodilian at approximately 12.2 metres (40 feet) long. Also of note was the discovery of several major Cretaceous carnivores, including Eocarchia dinops, a hunter, and Kryptops palaios, a scavenger. During this expedition, Sereno and his colleagues discovered a Neolithic human…
Read More