Overview
- An international team reports ~55‑million‑year‑old crocodilian eggshell fragments from the Murgon fossil site in Queensland, the oldest found in Australia.
- The shells are attributed to extinct mekosuchine crocodiles and are formally named as a new eggshell type, Wakkaoolithus godthelpi.
- Researchers say the material likely relates to early mekosuchines such as Kambara, reflecting a lineage distinct from modern Australian crocodiles.
- Optical and electron microscopy plus geochemical signals indicate eggs were laid along lake margins with adaptations to fluctuating wetland conditions.
- The findings support interpretations that some mekosuchines were terrestrial or partly arboreal “drop crocs,” contrasting with modern crocs that arrived in Australia about 3.8 million years ago.