An Affinity for Warm Climes has Helped Crocs Thrive for Eons
Crocodilians — today's crocodiles, alligators, caimans and gharials and their many extinct relatives — have been a roaring success since debuting more than 240 million years ago. And new research identifies one important factor in their success — stubbornly keeping to warm climates throughout their history. In fact, the researchers said, this trait may help explain why crocs as a group survived the asteroid strike 66 million years ago that doomed the dinosaurs, along with certain physiological characteristics that make them one tough bunch of reptiles.
