Die Untersuchung der ältesten bekannten Krokodileierschalen Australiens hilft Wissenschaftlern dabei, Hinweise auf Tiere und Ökosysteme zu finden, die vor Millionen von Jahren gediehen, einschließlich der offensichtlichen Existenz von „Drop-Crocs“, halbaborealen Mekosuchin-Krokodilen, die in Bäumen leben

G’day r/science, sharing this study from an international team led by the Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont (ICP), including researchers from UNSW Sydney, which looked at the oldest crocodilian eggshells ever found in Australia to gain insights into the reproductive paleoecology of mekosuchines: [https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02724634.2025.2560010](https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02724634.2025.2560010)

Eggshell fragments found in a local grazier’s backyard in the small southeast QLD town of Murgon, named Wakkaoolithus godthelpi, once belonged to mekosuchine crocodiles. This group of now extinct crocs dominated inland waters 55 million years ago, while modern saltwater and freshwater crocs only arrived later in Australia, around 3.8 million years ago.