A Jurassic crocodile relative with teeth like needles, built for shrimp and tiny fish

Fossils from eastern Morocco have revealed a new species of ancient crocodile relative whose long snout carried unusually slender teeth — tools, researchers say, for sieving shrimp and tiny fish rather than seizing large prey. The find, published in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, shows these Jurassic animals filled far more feeding niches than anyone assumed, evolving filter-style feeding independently of other ancient reptiles. For the team, it is also a reminder of how much of Morocco's rich fossil record is still waiting in the ground.