18 September 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

Beheaded croc reveals ancient family secrets

A missing link in crocodilian evolution and a tragic tale of human-driven extinction.

The partially fossilized remains of a giant extinct crocodilian that could have been ritualistically beheaded explain how modern crocodilian species may have evolved.

Discovered in southern China, the new species is estimated to have been 6 meters long and the top predator of its environment. Human migration into southern China and subsequent hunting might have driven it to extinction only a few hundred years ago. The discovery may impact knowledge of ancient Chinese civilization.

In the ninth century, during China’s Tang dynasty, the people of the Han River delta in the southern Chinese province of Guangdong had a crocodilian problem — though, depending on your perspective, you may prefer to say that the local crocodilians had a human problem. According to historical accounts, Han Yu, a government official and poet, tried warning the crocodilians and even sacrificed a pig and goat to implore them to leave the area. Unfortunately, the crocodilians, unable to recognize these threats, remained and, as new evidence suggests, met their ultimate fate.

 Hanyusuchus sinensis
Hanyusuchus sinensis. Photo: Masaya Iijima and Hikaru Amemiya

Twelve centuries later, Professor Minoru Yoneda from the University Museum at the University of Tokyo and research fellow Masaya Iijima from Nagoya University Museum in Japan, and Professor Jun Liu from Hefei University of Technology in China, found themselves studying two partially fossilized, or subfossil, individuals from a new species. The creatures were probably killed in the 14th and 10th centuries B.C., respectively, so were not the victims of Han Yu, but their existence does connect with that story, and so the researchers named this new species Hanyusuchus sinensis after him.

“I have studied modern crocodilians for years, but even though it’s extinct, Hanyusuchus sinensis is by far the most astonishing creature I’ve ever seen,” said Iijima. “Everyone is familiar with sharp-nosed crocodiles and blunt-nosed alligators, but may be less familiar with a third kind of modern crocodilian called gharials that have much longer and thinner skulls. Hanyusuchus sinensis is a type of gharials, but what’s exciting is how it also shares some important skull features with the rest of the crocodilians. This is significant as it could settle a decadeslong debate about how, when and in what way crocodilians evolved into the three families still roaming the Earth today.”

Any species considered a so-called missing link is always a significant find, but Hanyusuchus sinensis is important for other reasons too: chiefly, that it seems to have been driven to extinction by humankind. Both of the subfossil gharial specimens showed extensive evidence of vicious attacks and even beheading. The authors connected the fatal wounds with weapons of the period in question.

“Given the two specimens we have were killed by people, the species is no longer around, and given the historical evidence of systematic crocodilian purges in the region, the conclusion must be that humans are responsible for Hanyusuchus sinensis’ demise,” said Yoneda. “Crocodilians are top predators and play a pivotal role in the maintenance of their freshwater ecosystems. This historical crocodilian conflict serves as a warning to people in the present.”

Chinese alligator (Alligator sinensis)
Chinese alligator (Alligator sinensis)

Yoneda is interested in these creatures as he studies the emergence of ancient Chinese civilization around 4,000 years ago, and has encountered crocodilian bones in many archaeological sites, some of which might be culturally significant. These bones, found at sites in many areas of China, were thought to belong to the Chinese alligator (Alligator sinensis), which only lived in the lower Yangtze River area in east central China. This may be evidence of a cultural influence from South to North China, but the new discovery could challenge this.

“I am not alone in thinking that the Chinese gharial, Hanyusuchus sinensis, might have left some marks themselves on ancient Chinese civilization,” said Yoneda. “Some Chinese characters and maybe even myths about dragons might have been influenced by this incredible reptile. It would be the only reptile in ancient China that feasted on humans.”

Members of the team are actively exploring other aspects of this discovery as well. The subfossils are recent enough that some soft tissue is preserved. This means that genetic material can hopefully be extracted to help paint a more accurate picture of how Hanyusuchus sinensis fits into the crocodilian branch of the tree of life.

TOKYO ÜNİVERSİTESİ

Image Credit : Masaya Iijima and Hikaru Amemiya

Related Articles

Scotland’s oldest tartan discovered in Highlands bog

1 April 2023

1 April 2023

According to new research, a piece of fabric discovered in a bog in the Scottish Highlands may be the oldest...

Archaeologists Uncover 4,800-Year-Old Bronze Age Tombs in Başur Höyük, Türkiye, Where Teenage Girls Were Ritually Sacrificed

30 March 2025

30 March 2025

As the first civilizations began to emerge in Mesopotamia and Anatolia, significant transformations in social structure, economy, and culture took...

3,000-Year-Old Eyeliner Innovative Formula Discovered in Iran: A Unique Iron Age Kohl Without Lead

17 July 2025

17 July 2025

Ancient black eyeliner found in Iron Age graves reveals a previously unknown cosmetic recipe using graphite and manganese oxide, predating...

Battle of the Egadi Islands: Rome’s deadly weapons discovered off Sicily

3 September 2021

3 September 2021

Underwater archaeologists from the Soprintendenza del Mare Regione Siciliana, RPM Nautical Foundation, and the Society for the Documentation of Submerged...

Netherlands’s unique treasure finds of medieval gold jewelry and silver coins

12 March 2023

12 March 2023

The Rijksmuseum van Oudheden (the National Museum of Antiquities) in the Netherlands has announced that a unique treasure of 1000-year-old...

USF team discovers 2,000-year-old Roman house during excavation in Malta

8 August 2023

8 August 2023

A team of researchers and students unearthed a 2,000-year-old Roman house in Malta, complete with a waste disposal system and...

Archaeologists find Viking Age shipyard in Swedish island

15 June 2022

15 June 2022

Archaeologists from Stockholm University have discovered a Viking Age shipyard at Birka on the island of Björkö in Lake Mälaren,...

5,000-Year-Old Matrilineal Society Discovered in China: DNA Unveils Ancient Female-Led Clans

30 July 2025

30 July 2025

In a remarkable study, scientists have uncovered genetic evidence of a rare matrilineal society in Neolithic China, where women determined...

Grain Barns dating back 6,000 years unearthed in China

15 December 2022

15 December 2022

Chinese archaeologists have revealed a cluster of 16 ancient granaries that traced back to the mid-late period of the Yangshao...

Huge ancient stone murals discovered in central China: “It is an important discovery that enriches and rewrites the art history of the Song Dynasty”

10 October 2022

10 October 2022

Two stone murals from the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127) have been discovered in Henan Province, central China, and are the...

Bergama Ancient City Takes Its Place in Digital Environment

1 February 2021

1 February 2021

As a result of the studies carried out by the German Institute, Bergama Ancient City was It was transferred to...

1800 Years Old Roman Milestone Used as Seat at Turkish Mosque

7 November 2024

7 November 2024

A milestone from the Roman Emperor Gordianus III period, which dates to 239 AD, was discovered in the Fatsa district...

Unique Roman Cavalry Parade Helmet Recreated

6 April 2024

6 April 2024

Two replicas have been created of the gilded silver unique Roman cavalry helmet that amateur archaeologists found in 2001 while...

Iron Age and Roman Skeletons Discovered on Alderney

19 May 2021

19 May 2021

Well-preserved skeletons from the late Iron Age and Roman periods were found in Alderney, one of the channel islands. The...

World’s Smallest Stegosaurus Track Found

14 March 2021

14 March 2021

The smallest trace of stegosaurus in the world that lived 155 million years ago was found. Stegosaurus, a herbivorous dinosaur,...