Crocodiles: Living Clues to Dinosaur Secrets

Crocodiles are very old animals. They have not changed much for 200 million years. This makes them special for scientists.

Crocodiles are not dinosaurs. But they are cousins of dinosaurs. Long ago, they had the same ancestor. This ancestor lived in the Triassic period.

Scientists study crocodile bones. The bones have rings inside them. These rings are like tree rings. They show how old the crocodile is.

Crocodile bones also look like dinosaur bones. Scientists compare them. This helps them understand how dinosaurs walked and hunted.

Crocodiles live in water and on land. This is called semi-aquatic. Some dinosaurs may have lived this way too.

Crocodiles are not weak or old-fashioned animals. They are strong hunters. They have survived for millions of years!