The predator was a precursor to the crocodile — and even though it lived before the earliest dinosaurs, it looked just like one.

A newly discovered, carnivorous lizard clearly represents what most casual observers would probably mistake for a dinosaur. However, it is actually a precursor to the modern crocodile.

Named in part from the Latin for “warrior” or “combatant,” Tenraquazosuchus bellator, this armored reptile lived about 240 million years before the dinosaurs.

And, as a pseudosuchia (precursors to modern crocodiles and fish), it was among the largest, most dominant predators of its time in the Triassic period.

This particular new species—figured it out Journal of Systematic PaleontologyApproximately 2.4 meters tall and weighs 60 kg.

It uses its long neck and agile movements to hunt down its victims, using quick and precise movements, before its prey uses its slender jaw profile full of sharp, repetitive teeth to hold onto the target, preventing them from escaping.

How Tenracussuchus belter hunted and lived

“This animal was an active predator, but despite its relatively large size, it was far from the largest hunter of its time with the same ecosystem home to giants as big as seven meters long,” explains lead author Dr. Rodrigo Temp Müller, who led a team of paleontologists from the Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, in Brazil.

“Pseudosuchia were a diverse group of animals that were able to cope with strong prey, as well as small predators that specialized in catching fast animals.

“Although it looks similar to a dinosaur, Theinracausuchus bellator does not belong to this group. One of the clearest ways for us to distinguish it from dinosaurs is in the structure of its pelvis, where its hip and femur joints are very different.”

Dr Müller adds, “The discovery of Tenraquasus bellator represents the complexity of ecosystems at the moment, with different pseudosuchia species occupying different ecological niches in size and hunting strategies.

“Its discovery helps illuminate an important moment in life’s history, the era that preceded the rise of the dinosaurs.”

Uncovering Ancient Predators in Brazil

Dr. Müller and his team discovered the fossil in May 2025 while digging in the municipality of Doña Francesca in southern Brazil.

They were discovered, surrounded by rock, preserving a partial skeleton, lower jaw, vertebral column, and parts of the pelvic girdle.

This allows them to display many of the creature’s behaviors, as well as the fact that Tnaraquazosuchus bellator had a waist covered by bony plates known as osteoderms, structures that are also present in modern crocodiles.

And, although the limbs were not preserved, the expert team believes that, unlike its close relatives, it went on all four limbs.

In reference to the animal’s sharp teeth, the name they gave the creature is “Tenarcososuchus” combining the Guaraní words tan (“tooth”) and rakua (“point”) with the Greek xixos (“crocodile”), in reference to the animal’s sharp teeth.

The “bellator” part of its name comes from the Latin word for “warrior” or “combatant” — which the authors describe as “symbolizing the people of the Rio Grande for their strength, resilience and fighting spirit, especially in light of the recent floods that have affected the state.”

Rare fossils reveal ancient connections

Dr. Müller described the discovery of tenercosis bellator as “extremely rare.” This is further evidence of ancient contact between Brazil and Africa during the Triassic period, he explained. When the world’s continents were combined into a single supercontinent, Pangea.

“Despite the diversity of pseudosuchians, they are poorly understood, as fossils of some of their lineages are extremely rare in the fossil record,” says Dr Müller.

“The fossils we found underwent a complex preparation process in the laboratory, during which the surrounding rock was carefully removed.

“Once the anatomical details were revealed, we were delighted and really excited that this specimen represented a species previously unknown to science.

“What we uncovered is a species that is a predator closely related to the one found in Tanzania (Mendusuchus tanyauchin).

“This connection between animals from South America and Africa can be understood in the light of the paleogeography of the Triassic period.

“At that time, the continents were still united, which allowed the free dispersal of organisms into the now-separated regions by ships. As a result, the plants of Brazil and Africa shared many common elements, reflecting a mutual evolutionary and ecological history.

“Tenracausuchus bellator lived in a region bordering a vast, arid desert—the same setting in which the first dinosaurs emerged.

“This shows that, in what is now southern Brazil, reptiles had already formed diverse communities based on different survival strategies. In addition, this discovery also suggests that such diversification was not an isolated phenomenon.”