Baryonyx

Baryonyx was a carnivorous dinosaur that lived in the early Cretaceous era about 130 million years ago. The first discovery of a Baryonyx fossil was made in Surrey, England, in 1983.

Baryonyx was about 10 metres long, of slim shape, with a long narrow tail and a crocodile-like mouth and snout. An unusual feature was the strong thumb claw on the front legs. This claw measured 35 centimetres in length and may well have been related to Baronyx’s feeding habits.

Specimens of Baronyx have been found alongside fossilised fish scales, which give another clue as to this animal’s probable way of life.

It very much looks as though Baryonyx was a fish-eating dinosaur that behaved in a similar fashion to the modern crocodile. The signs point to Baryonyx having lived in swamps or alongside rivers. It would dart its long neck forward to snatch fish out of the water, and it would use its massive thumb claws to hook fish and other water-dwelling creatures.

Modern fresh-water crocodiles had not evolved during the era when Baryonyx was around, so it is entirely possible that Baryonyx was unchallenged in its role as a fish-eating predator at this time.

© John Welford