The Enigma of the Florida Crocodile opus 794
| 19 March 2026 2056 Hours | | Migration, Biology, Environment, Evolution, Science, Zoology |
As a young boy, I read many animal books.
One copy demonstrated the crocodile distribution maps,
Which showed the isolated population of crocs in Florida.
My thought has always been: How did this happen?
Well, I researched and found that there are
Four species in the New World.
They all have a mid-rostral boss or 'snout bump'.
The only other Old World species with the 'bump' is,
Crocodylus chechiai, a 7-million-year-old Libyan fossil species.
This is the closest relative of all the New World species.
Crocodiles arose in Australia, then spread to Africa and South America.
Since the size of the Atlantic was about the same as today,
How exactly did this species invade the Americas?
Scientists are now concluding that it swam!
It used ocean currents; it could tolerate salt water;
It stored sperm for long periods; and could fast for a long time
It appears that Ice Age sea level changes were a more
Significant driver of genetic isolation for the four American species,
Than the variation in temperature or rainfall.
Recent scientific studies have answered these enigmas.