“`html
Brand new research reveals saltwater crocodiles were once found in far greater numbers than they are now.(Image credit: Getty Images)
- Copy link
- X
Share this article 0Join the conversationFollow usAdd us as a preferred source on GoogleNewsletterLive ScienceGet the Live Science Newsletter
Have the most enthralling global discoveries sent to your inbox.
Become a Member Instantly
Gain immediate entry to exclusive member content.
Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.
You are now a subscriber
Your enrollment for the newsletter was successful
Do you want to add more newsletters?
Delivered DailyDaily Newsletter
Sign up for the most recent finds, innovative investigations, and captivating advancements that affect you along with the broader world, right to your inbox.
Signup +Once a weekLife’s Little Mysteries
Satisfy your curiosity with a unique mystery each week, solved with science and delivered to your inbox before it is accessible anywhere else.
Signup +Once a weekHow It Works
Subscribe to our complimentary science & technology bulletin for your regular dose of interesting articles, short quizzes, incredible photos, and more
Signup +Delivered dailySpace.com Newsletter
The latest space updates, breaking news regarding rocket launches, and skywatching opportunities!
Signup +Once a monthWatch This Space
Register for our entertainment bulletin each month to stay current with all of our content on the newest sci-fi and space-related films, television programs, games, and books.
Signup +Once a weekNight Sky This Week
Learn about this week’s must-see stargazing opportunities, lunar phases, and remarkable astrophotos. Subscribe to our skywatching bulletin and explore the cosmos alongside us!
Signup +Join the club
Gain total access to premium articles, exclusive offerings and an increasing assortment of member benefits.
Explore An account already exists for this email address, please log in.Subscribe to our newsletter
New DNA research verifies that saltwater crocodiles formerly inhabited a vast region that stretched from the Indian Ocean to the Seychelles.
The now-vanished crocodile group in the Seychelles, an island chain situated in the western Indian Ocean, was not a population of Nile crocodiles (Crocodylus niloticus), nor a distinct species. Instead, it was probably the westernmost cluster of saltwater crocodiles (Crocodylus porosus), which currently reside in India, Southeast Asia, Australia, and islands dispersed throughout the Western Pacific, researchers indicated on Jan. 28 in the journal Royal Society Open Science.
You may like
-
Cassius the giant crocodile succumbed to sepsis after a 40-year-old inactive infection broke out from ‘abscess,’ necropsy indicates
-
‘An extreme end of human genetic variation’: Prehistoric humans were secluded in southern Africa for approximately 100,000 years, and their genetics are remarkably different
-
Present-day humans made their way to Australia 60,000 years ago and might have bred with archaic humans such as ‘hobbits’
The Seychelles was formerly home to a substantial crocodile population, according to journey records from over 250 years prior. However, upon the arrival of human colonists in the late 18th century, they eradicated all of the crocodiles on the islands. The remains of several specimens were stored in museums in the Seychelles, London, and Paris.
Initially, Western researchers surmised that the Seychelles crocodiles belonged to a Nile crocodile population that had moved from Africa. Nonetheless, in 1994, investigators reclassified the preserved remains as saltwater crocodiles, depending on their physical features.
Within the updated study, a separate group of scientists verified that conclusion utilizing genetic data. They gathered mitochondrial DNA from the teeth and skulls of several aged museum examples of varying crocodile species, then contrasted that DNA with tissue samples obtained from current museum samples and living crocodiles.
Sampling the Seychelles crocodiles. Three partial skulls coming from the Seychelles National Museum constitute some of the limited preserved remnants of the Seychelles crocodiles.
The study revealed that the genetic fingerprints of the Seychelles crocodiles closely corresponded with those of the saltwater crocodiles. This signifies that the saltwater crocodiles’ habitat spanned greater than 7,500 miles (12,000 km) heading east to west prior to the Seychelles population’s elimination.
“The genetic characteristics imply that the saltwater crocodile groups stayed interconnected over considerable durations across lengthy distances, demonstrating this species’ elevated mobility,” study co-author Stefanie Agne, an evolutionary biologist from the University of Potsdam situated in Germany, remarked in the statement.
related stories
—Cassius, the captive crocodile known as the world’s biggest, may have lived for longer than 120 years prior to his death
—Due to climate change, crocodiles are becoming overheated — which is transforming their conduct
—The globe’s oldest tortoise is still fertile at the age of 191
In order to stretch as far west as the Seychelles, C. porosus would have needed to traverse thousands of miles of ocean. The study authors wrote that the crocodiles possess adaptations for maritime survival, showcasing specialized salt glands across their tongues which permit them to discharge excessive salt. This adjustment might have assisted the creatures in spreading widely around the Indo-Pacific region, while restricting subsequent speciation.
Nonetheless, impending work could still expose distinctions within the clusters of saltwater crocodiles. Seeing as mitochondrial DNA is inherited just from the maternal side, it might not register any faint genetic variances created by male crocodiles. Future studies utilizing DNA taken from the nuclei of crocodile cells might be beneficial for unearthing any geographical distinctions among the various inhabitants, according to the researchers.
Article Sources
Agne, S., Arnold, P., Belle, B., Straube, N., Hofreiter, M., & Glaw, F. (2026). Mitogenomic Crocodylia phylogeny and population structure of Crocodylus porosus including the extinct Seychelles crocodile. Royal Society Open Science, 13(1). https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.251546
Skyler WareSocial Links NavigationLive Science Contributor
Skyler Ware works as a freelance science correspondent, reporting on chemistry, biology, paleontology, and Earth science. She participated as a 2023 AAAS Mass Media Science and Engineering Fellow, held at Science News. Her works have additionally been published in Science News Explores, ZME Science, and Chembites, to name a few. Skyler possesses a Ph.D. in chemistry obtained from Caltech.
View More
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
LogoutRead more
Cassius the giant crocodile died from sepsis after 40-year-old dormant infection burst from ‘abscess,’ necropsy reveals
‘An extreme end of human genetic variation’: Ancient humans were isolated in southern Africa for nearly 100,000 years, and their genetics are stunningly different
Modern humans arrived in Australia 60,000 years ago and may have interbred with archaic humans such as ‘hobbits’
Anacondas became massive 12 million years ago — and it worked so well, they haven’t changed size since
240 million-year-old ‘warrior’ crocodile ancestor from Pangaea had plated armor — and it looked just like a dinosaur