I’ve got an article in tomorrow’s New York Times about the discovery of a remarkable case of convergence: an ancient relative of today’s crocodiles and alligators that evolved a dinosaur’s body–80 million before the dinosaurs evolved it. Here’s the paper.

Update, 1/26 7 am: Here’s Seth Sean Murtha’s nice sketch of Effigia okeeffeae. A bigger version is here.

Update, 2/1 9 am: Be sure to check out Carl Buell’s croc gallery. 

 Originally published January 26, 2006. Copyright 2006 Carl Zimmer.