This Fossil Friday, let’s take a bite out of the weekend with Deinosuchus—a giant crocodilian that lived alongside th... by @amnh

Published by @amnh on Mar 20, 2026.

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A photo of Museum in preparators near the skulls of Deinosuchus and a modern crocodile. Deinosuchus’ skull is much larger, highlighting the animal’s massive size.

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This post stands out with 3 linked topics, 1 media item(s), and 8 highlighted comments. It sits inside @amnh's page, with 8 related posts to open next and 1616 engagement points. Primary linked tags: #didyouknow, #fossils, #museum.

Caption

This Fossil Friday, let’s take a bite out of the weekend with Deinosuchus—a giant crocodilian that lived alongside the dinosaurs some 75 million years ago. Reaching lengths of more than 35 ft (10.7 m) and weighing more than 8,000 lbs (3,628.7 kg), Deinosuchus was as long as a school bus and as heavy as an elephant, making it one of the most powerful predators in its ecosystem. In fact, partially healed bite marks found on the bones of a tyrannosaur in North America match this giant croc’s teeth, suggesting Deinosuchus could go toe to toe with even the most formidable of dinosaurs. This image features a historical reconstruction from 1942, which is not representative of current size estimates. Photo: Image no. 318651/ © AMNH Library #paleontology #museum #fossils #didyouknow

Top comments

@dawsypoosays 2 likes Mar 20, 2026

I love Fossil Friday

@cafferyg 1 likes Mar 21, 2026

“… not representative of current size estimates…” because it’s too big? Or too small?

@sanicissad 0 likes Mar 21, 2026

So since it's 2026 now, is it still considered larger than Purussaurus? Or is it the other way around?

@barrowoninness 0 likes Mar 20, 2026

I remember when this was called Phobosuchus It was in the same gallery as T. Rex then in the classic tripodal pose.