Alligator olseni is one of the best known extinct crocodilians. These fossils are an intermediate species between primitive and more recent alligators, and hold important clues to understanding alligator evolution.
Story
Alligators are quite common in the Florida fossil record. At Thomas Farm, we preserve a large sample of 18-million-year-old alligators that belong to the extinct species Alligator olseni. Researchers have determined that it is an evolutionary intermediate — an ancestor to both the modern American and Chinese alligators.
Richard Hulbert
Collection Manager, Vertebrate Paleontology
Florida Museum of Natural History
Summary
Ancient Alligator Skull (Alligator olseni)
From Gilchrist Co., Florida
Lived ~18 million years ago
Exhibit Area
Theme
For the Gator Good!