New Species of Ancient Crocodile Named in Honour of Welsh School Teacher
By Community Correspondent
A newly identified species of early crocodile relative that once roamed Gloucestershire has been revealed by scientists.
Dating back to the Late Triassic period, the animal would have looked more like a sleek greyhound than the crocodiles we know today.
The land-dwelling reptile had long, slender legs built for speed and likely hunted small reptiles, amphibians and some of the earliest mammals. At the time, this part of Britain formed an elevated landscape bordered by vast, hot and dry plains.
The species has been given a name inspired by Arthurian legend and modern-day education.
The first part references Sir Galahad, the knight famed for his upright and noble character — a nod to the animal’s upright posture.
The second part honours David Rhys Jones, a secondary school teacher from Ysgol Uwchradd Aberteifi in Cardigan, Wales, who taught the study’s lead researcher.
“We named it after my secondary school physics teacher,” says Ewan Bodenham, a PhD student at the Natural History Museum London and UCL, and lead author of the research paper.
“Mr Jones was just such a good teacher, not only in being able to explain things well, but you could tell that he was genuinely interested in the sciences. I think that really inspired me.
“He also didn’t let me settle. He was very good at challenging people and helping students be the best they can be. Above all, he’s a very funny, genuine, nice guy.”
The fossil material was recovered from fissure cave deposits located on both sides of the Bristol Channel, spanning southern Wales and southwest England.
These natural fissures acted as traps, where animals that died nearby were washed in and gradually buried by sediment.
Among the fossils were remains belonging to a small early crocodylomorph — part of the broader group that would eventually give rise to modern crocodiles and alligators. Unlike their modern descendants, however, these early relatives were fully terrestrial and adapted for running.
“My PhD project is looking at the evolutionary relationships of these early crocodiles,” explains Ewan.
“So we conducted a detailed anatomical description of this specimen, making comparisons to other early crocodiles to determine if it was another specimen of Terrestrisuchus or if it was something new.”
After close analysis, researchers identified 13 anatomical differences between the fossils and known species — enough to confirm the discovery of a completely new species.
The find contributes to growing evidence that this region supported a surprisingly diverse range of wildlife during the Late Triassic, shortly before the mass extinction event at the end of the period, which was triggered by intense volcanic activity and dramatic climate shifts.
By studying the animals that lived before this extinction and understanding how they responded to environmental upheaval, scientists hope to gain insights into how species cope with major climate and ecological change — knowledge that remains highly relevant today.
