Artist's reconstruction of Sonselasuchus cedrus (S. cedrus) in its natural environment (Credit: Gabriel Ugeto/ CC BY SA-2.0)

Modern crocodiles are powerful, heavy reptiles. They spend much of their lives along riverbanks, waiting to ambush prey. But their ancient relatives looked and lived very differently. One example is Sonselasuchus cedrus (S. cedrus). This recently discovered crocodile species lived about 215 million years ago during the Late Triassic Period.