Crocodile reveals the Earth's climate conditions millions of years ago

Crocodiles often migrate to warm waters in South Africa and North Africa to avoid the impact of a sharp drop in climate temperature in Europe.

Freshwater crocodiles often migrate to warm waters.(Photo: Activewild).

According to recent research, the life of ancient crocodiles is shedding light on Earth's climate millions of years ago. Research shows that reptiles can be data to study environmental and climatic conditions in the same way that scientists study ice cores and stem cores. Some crocodiles can tolerate changes of climate but there are also species that are sensitive to those changes. Based on the fossil distribution characteristics of many different crocodiles, researchers can better understand the global climate from millions of years ago.

"Our analysis shows that alligators have the ability to withstand dramatic changes in climate, marking the end of the Eoxen era and the beginning of the Oligocene era , " the study's lead author. Dr. Stéphane Jouve from Sorbonne University said.

While many creatures are extinct due to climate change, low sea levels, some crocodiles have migrated to other areas to find ways to survive. They often migrate to North Africa and South Africa to avoid the cold of Europe. The study suggests that the African Moroccan region is the cradle to help crocodile Gavialoid South America grow and develop.

Although freshwater crocodiles are not affected by sea level, they are affected by a sharp decrease in the environmental temperature at the end of the late Eocene period and become extinct. Meanwhile, the crocodile Diplocynodon can still survive at the lowest temperature during the early Oligocence period.

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