It turns out the Tyrannosaurus rex was not the top-dog among reptilian predators during the Jurassic period.
In fact, one of the top predators wasn't a dinosaur at all, but a bone-crushing crocodile relative with strong teeth even larger than those of the T. rex.
That's according to a new study in the journal PeerJ.
The animal, Razanandrongobe sakalavae, known as Razana, measured 23 feet long and weighed as much as 2,200 pounds.
Fossil evidence unearthed in Madagascar indicates that Razana was at the top of the food chain in the middle Jurassic period - 170 million years ago.
Razanandrongobe sakalavae, gigantic crocodylian from the Middle Jurassic of Madagascar, is oldest known notosuchian https://t.co/sEbvxWsUo5pic.twitter.com/k4O1ZfzxPf
— PeerJ - the journal (@thePeerJ) July 5, 2017