Ancient Alligator with Short Snout Devoured Snails in Prehistoric Era

Researchers have identified an extinct species of alligator, named A. munensis, based on a skull found in northeastern Thailand. The skull, estimated to be around 200,000 years old, exhibits distinct features such as a short, broad snout, a tall skull, and fewer teeth compared to modern alligator species. The researchers suggest that A. munensis had the ability to crush prey, possibly shellfish or snails. They also propose that the species is more closely related to the critically endangered Chinese alligator than the American alligator, and that geological changes in the Tibetan Plateau may have led to their independent evolution.