Prehistoric Wild: Life in the Mesozoic

The False Crocs (222 MYA)

Timezgadiouine Formation, Morocco, 222 Million Years ago

    In the northwestern tip of Africa, lies the country of Morocco. Today, it is home to the famed Atlas Mountains that stretch into nearby Algeria and Tunisia. This, along with the glowing sands along the coast of the Mediterranean, is what the land is best known for.

    In Late Triassic Morocco, these are nowhere to be seen. At this time, it lies in the middle of the supercontinent of Pangea. The famed Atlas Mountain range is also absent as the tectonic shifts that create them have yet to occur. Cut off from the ocean, it's just one part of an expansive mass of dry land.

    And dry it is, as much of what's seen for miles is reddish scorched dirt. The 86-degree temperatures of the Triassic add to the intense drought here. All that's seen for miles is this same parched earth, dusty rocks, and gusts of windblown sand. These same images are also seen distorted by the radiating heat of the horizon and the backdrop of the late afternoon sun.

    Such baking, shriveled conditions are far from uncommon at this time. Even nearly 30 million years after the volcanic cataclysm of the Great Dying, superheated conditions permeate much of the land of Pangea. Few areas are safe, such as those closer to the coast.

    Though once in a while, mother nature presents a gift to this nearly inhospitable land. A gift that rejuvenates it for all its inhabitants. One that transforms the landscape seemingly overnight. It's the lifeblood of the natural world... water.

    In the middle of this dry landscape is a flowing river. Its brown liquid gushes and rushes through an extensive canal. Short, muddy cliffs surround the edges of this vast stream.

    Indeed, the world of the Triassic is permeated with what is known as the dry season. At the end of it is one that brings the opposite, the wet season. It's a period of less intense heat and more frequent episodes of rainfall. It is such precipitation that allows for the revitalization of bodies of water like these. Such events are seen across the Pangean supercontinent, including here in Morocco.

    With this influx of aqua comes a surge in returning life. The most prevalent are the many plants that grow around the edges of the river. These mainly consist of ferns, seed ferns, and primitive conifer trees. Stained by drops of clear liquid, they add an array of vibrant greens to this dynamic ecosystem. Although, some parts of this vegetation are thicker than others. While other batches have become impenetrable to the naked eye, others are still short and growing, showing the dried landscape that still lies beyond.

    Outside of the variety of greenery, the area around the river is alive with other, more active, organisms. The most abundant of these are aerial insects such as flies, dragonflies, and damselflies. They float, hover, and zoom around the water and plants, adding various droning and buzzing noises to the ambiance of the area. Often, they are the victims of some of the many small, lizard-like reptiles that prowl the edges of the canal. They'll regularly jump at any insects touching the ground to rest or spring into the air, attempting to catch any flying above them.

    Of course, these reptiles have competition in this area. Roaming the river's edge are 7-foot long Diodorus. They are a type of silesaurid, a reptile that resembles and is closely related to dinosaurs despite not being true members of the clade.

Their sleek, slender bodies are carried by four long limbs. While the hind limbs are taller and well-muscled, their forelimbs are shorter, yet still robust. Their form is counterbalanced by a long, tapering tail. Held up by flexible, moderately long necks are small, triangular heads with a pointed snout and large, alert eyes set towards their sides. These heads also have a mouth full of small, sharp teeth. Their smooth, scaly skin is primarily a grayish brown with an assortment of taupe brown spots and mottling all over, except for their underbellies.