| Koolasuchus Fossil range: Middle Cretaceous |
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 Koolasuchus cleelandi
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| Binomial name | ||||||||||||||||||
| Koolasuchus cleelandi |
Koolasuchus was a large Cretaceous amphibian that lived on the continent of Australia. The Cretaceous (kriːˈteɪʃəs, usually abbreviated 'K' for its German translation "Kreide" is a geologic period and system, reaching from the end of Prehistoric amphibian Amphibians (class Amphibia such as Frogs Toads Salamanders Newts Gymnophiona, Sirens and For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. It was a carnivore whose diet included turtles, clams and crayfish. A carnivore (ˈkɑrnɪvɔər meaning 'meat eater' ( Latin carne meaning 'flesh' and vorare meaning 'to devour' is any animal with a diet consisting Turtles are Reptiles of the Order Testudines (all living turtles belong to the Crown group Chelonia) most of Clam is a word which can be used for all some or only a few Species of Bivalve Mollusks the word is a Common name which has Crayfish, crawfish, crawdads, or crodgers are freshwater Crustaceans resembling small Lobsters to which they are closely
Koolasuchus was a member of the temnospondyli order of amphibians and specifically of the chigutosaur group. Temnospondyli (from Greek τεμνειν temnein = "to cut" + σπονδυλως spondulos = "vertebra" are an important and extremely diverse It lived in the rift valley where southern Australia was starting to split from Antarctica, and perhaps elsewhere. A rift valley is a linear-shaped lowland between highlands or mountain ranges created by the action of a geologic Rift or fault. It is notable both because it was one of the largest temnospondyls, and because it survived long after its cousins further north had become extinct. Temnospondyli (from Greek τεμνειν temnein = "to cut" + σπονδυλως spondulos = "vertebra" are an important and extremely diverse
Competition with phytosaurs during the late Triassic, and later, crocodilians is believed to have contributed to the general decline of the temnospondyl order. Phytosaurs - family Phytosauridae or Parasuchidae - were a group of large (2 to 12 meters long - average size 3 to 4 meters semi-aquatic predatory The Triassic is a geologic period and system that extends from about 251 to 199 Ma (million years ago Crocodilia is an order of large Reptiles that appeared about 84 million years ago in the late Cretaceous Period ( Campanian stage At this point in time Australia was within the Antarctic Circle, and had a climate too cold for crocodiles, protecting them from this competition. Koolasuchus could survive in this colder climate because, like modern salamanders, it is thought to have hibernated under the ice in ponds during the winter. Salamander (orig from Persian: sām, "fire" and andarūn, "within" is the common name for a group of approximately 500 Species
Koolasuchus shared with older temnospondyls a very wide, heavy skull (50 centimeters/20 inch wide) which contrasted with its small weak body and limbs. Like modern crocodiles, Koolasuchus had its eyes on the top of its head. This suggests that it was an ambush hunter. Around 5 metres (16 feet) long but only 30cm (1 foot) high, and with a weight of more than half a ton, it would have been able to hunt mammals or small dinosaurs who drank from the shallow swamps and rivers it lived in to supplement its diet. Mammals ( class Mammalia) are a class of Vertebrate Animals characterized by the presence of Sweat glands, including sweat glands Due to its extremely large head and mouth, it may have been able to capture fish and shellfish by lying in wait and suddenly opening its mouth, sucking in water and its victim. This is a feeding style similar to that of the unrelated modern-day giant salamanders of Asia. The Hellbender and Asian giant Salamanders (family Cryptobranchidae) are aquatic Amphibians found in brooks and ponds in the
Koolasuchus is named for the palaeontologist Lesley Kool and geologist Mike Cleeland. Palaeontology redirects here For the Scientific journal, see Palaeontology (journal. A geologist is a contributor to the Science of Geology, studying the physical structure and processes of the Earth and planets of the solar system Its remains were found in 1989 near San Remo, Victoria, Australia. Year 1989 ( MCMLXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar) [1]. It is known for its appearance in the BBC series Walking with Dinosaurs, and as one of Australia's largest fossil predators. Walking with Dinosaurs was a six-part Television series produced by the BBC, narrated by Kenneth Branagh, and first aired in the UK
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