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He bit off more than he could chew! Fossil of two ancient 'crocodiles' shows how one died choking on the other - and it could fetch 150,000 at auction
The 300-million-year-old remains were discovered near Frankfurt, Germany Remarkably well-preserved fossil shows that larger 2ft amphibian, known as Sclerocephalus haeuseri, died of suffocation just after it bit smaller one Even minute details such as skin impressions and the sharp teeth of the larger animal have been perfectly preserved
By Daily Mail Reporter PUBLISHED: 14:40 GMT, 8 October 2013 | UPDATED: 14:55 GMT, 8 October 2013

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The 300-million-year-old remains of two prehistoric amphibians that have been preserved as one choked on the other are to be sold at auction for 150,000. The fossilised creatures, that resemble modern crocodiles, were discovered in Rhineland-Palatinate, near Frankfurt in Germany, and are thought to be extremely rare. The ancient skeletons are in such good condition they show that the larger, 2ft creature died of suffocation just after it bit the smaller one in half.

The fossils of the two amphibians in their final moments were discovered in RhinelandPalatinate, near Frankfurt in Germany, and are thought to be extremely rare

Even minute details such as skin impressions and the sharp teeth of the killer animal have been perfectly preserved.

THE CROCODILE THAT WAS A LITTLE LIKE A FROG


Sclerocephalus haeuseri lived around 300 million years ago, between the Upper Carboniferous and the Lower Permian periods.

The creature looked like a cross between a crocodile and a salamander. Adults could reach a length of up to five feet. Experts believe the creature's young were similar to modern frogs - breathing with external gills when young like tadpoles but eventually developing air breathing lungs. Experts are delighted with the discovery because is it one of few fossil examples of this species, Sclerocephalus haeuseri. The animal looked similar to a crocodile and a salamander today and are thought to be aquatic creatures. Historians and scientists also believe this is thought to be the first fossil discovered that shows a creature of this species dying of suffocation. James Walker, 64, director of nature and science at Heritage Auctions in Texas, where the auction ill be held, said: 'The fossil was found in the Saar-Ruhe Basin in the Rheinland-Pfalz area of what used to be West Germany. 'The fossil dates back to somewhere around the boundary between the Upper Carboniferous and the Lower Permian, between 301 and 297 million years old.

Sclerocephalus haeuseri (CGI pictured) lived 300 million years ago and looked similar to a crocodile and a salamander. Scientists believe the fossil is the first to show one dying by suffocation

'This was the lower boundary of the Permian and it was a time of great transition in climates and ecology. 'The larger one bit off more than it could swallow, in this case, and it was killed by choking on dinner. The smaller one died because it was bitten in half. 'The larger one is a Sclerocephalus haeuseri and the smaller is most likely to be of the same species. They were similar to the crocodiles and alligators of today. 'It is rare to find fossils to begin with, and well-preserved ones are even rarer. 'Examples where both died as a consequence of what could be termed stupid behaviour are quite rare. 'The 'stupid' individuals remove themselves from the gene-pool, and therefore tend to not pass one their

'stupid' genes or behavior.


'Only

that the owners are private collectors of long standing with an eye for the rare and unusual.'

The auction will be held on Oct 19th and 20th.

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Comments (28)
Share what you think Newest Oldest Best rated Worst rated View all Report comment Lemmy Kilmister, Heaven, United Kingdom, 1 day ago still a better love story than twilight

0 18 Click to rate Report comment Toad, Toadhall, 1 day ago Funny how decomposition never set in nor the bones scattered during the millions of years it took to slowly cover these creatures.

43 5 Click to rate 2 of 3 repliesSee all replies

Report comment Stuart, Chelmsford, United Kingdom, 18 hours ago Poor Toad .... sounds like a typical creationist to me. They always think they know best but ultimately they are just clueless. Still, myths are easier to learn than authentic science.

0 13 Click to rate Report comment Robert Wilson, Bracknell, 17 hours ago Oh dear Toad, the "millions of years" is a bit of a giveaway. This is a gambit the Answers in Genesis web$hite like their drones to use - focus on "deep time" and the improbably vast numbers involved, rather than the much shorter time scales involved in, say, dendrochronology, sedimentology, ice core dating or archaeology, all of which do a perfectly adequate job of demonstrating what a steaming pile of $hite young earth creationism is. Of course like many of your scientifically-illiterate kind, you seem to think that all that is involved in falsification is sitting around lazily declaring everything you don't like to be wrong. For the creationist, ignorance and arrogance are not only bliss; they're mandatory. 0 13 Click to rate

Report comment jimi, denver, United States, 1 day ago amazing!

0 12 Click to rate Report comment Stewski, Hexthorpe, United Kingdom, 1 day ago If it had chewed a bit the bit that it bit off then it might not have come to such a bitter end.

0 7 Click to rate Report comment TheDon, Cambs, United Kingdom, 1 day ago It'd be so cool to own something like that. But not at that price !

0 9 Click to rate

Report comment intelligent peasant, Atlantis, Cte d'Ivoire, 1 day ago LIES THE WORLD IS ONLY 6000 YEARS OLD. VOTE UKIP AND END THIS EU EVOLUTION MADNESS

54 10 Click to rate Report comment MrDrummle, Newcastle, 1 day ago I always get scared that I might be a fossil in the future and people might be looking at me somewhere saying how life was when

I was alive.

0 8 Click to rate Report comment Astonished, Guildford, 1 day ago Probably only 8000 years old!

58 3 Report comment Robert Wilson, Bracknell, 18 hours ago

Click to rate

Most of your cret!nous ilk think the planet is a mere 6,000 years old. So congratulations on starting out on the path to sanity. You've a fair way to go, mind, but even the longest journey begins with a single step. 1 13 Click to rate Report comment Jesuis, Reading, 1 day ago Sounds like the american shut down. the Republicans have bitten into to much.

23 7 Click to rate Report comment Janne in Cayman, Georgetown, 1 day ago The bigger one could also have been munching on a dead one. Then been buried by a slide/ collapsing bank. Most fossils of small animals exist because the unfortunate animal was quickly buried by some sort of soil/sand/sediment. Otherwise other animals would eat them. Elementary.

3 19 Click to rate The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline.

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