While the crocodiles of the modern-day world are quadrupedal, some of their ancient species walked on their two hind legs.

110-120 million years old footprints found in South Korea have made it certain that the anatomy of ancient crocodiles was very different than that of the crocodiles we see today. The footprints measured around 24 centimeters, and according to a team of paleontologists, they could only be a part of legs that were the same height as that of an adult human.

Hand marks were absent in the vicinity of the footprints and, hence, rose the possibility of the footprints belonging to a certain species of dinosaurs. This theory was sidelined considering the fact that they walked on their toes, and there were heel impressions in the footprints. Crocodiles are known to walk on the flat of their feet.

Moreover, there were also no tail marks around the footprints, further clarifying that ancient crocodiles not only walked bipedally, but had longer hind legs as well. Tail marks could be seen when the modern-crocodile walks on its all fours.

According to the paleontologists the chances are quite rare that the footprints lacked hand marks because of the ancient animal stepping over its own hand marks with its hind legs as it walked on. It is also known that these ancient crocodiles were more than three meters long.

Source: http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-66008-7