Quick wins for a faster PC:
Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →A fragment of fossilized skin bone from Hernals, in Vienna, is the youngest crocodilian occurrence currently known from Central Europe. Described in a 2025 study, the single osteoderm is tentatively attributed to Diplocynodon and extends the region’s known record by about one million years. It is not a complete crocodile, and it does not prove that this was the last individual to live there—or the last crocodilian in Europe.
What scientists found in Vienna
The fossil is an osteoderm: a bony plate embedded in a crocodilian’s skin. It was recovered from mid-Sarmatian deposits at Hernals, in Vienna. The 2025 study assigns the fragment tentatively to the genus Diplocynodon; the evidence does not establish a species.
That modest piece matters because it pushes the known Central European crocodilian record about one million years later than previously documented. The authors describe it as the region’s latest known occurrence. “Latest known” refers to fossils found so far, not a directly observed extinction or proof that no crocodilian survived later.
Why “the last crocodile” needs a geographic qualifier
The Vienna fossil is a Central European record, not the latest crocodilian evidence anywhere in Europe. A tooth from Baza-1 in Spain, dated to 4.5 million years ago, has been reported as the most recent evidence of crocodiles found in Europe. That later southern record is separate from the Hernals osteoderm.
#1 Best Overall
- High Quatity material - in resin: each Animal Skull replica is made by a resin, as well as affixed to plastic. As a resin is very robust and long-lasting, it will not be pit, crumple or mark like skulls plastic quarries. The resin material gives the bone as the touch and the appearance that is essential ..
- Annimal fans of wellness - Real Crocodile Skull model samples, this skeleton model is useful for studying anatomy for animal bones. Exquisite invoice, faithful to the scale, realistic Pieces.it is the well -being of animal lovers, it is possible to use it as a sample or home decoration.
- learning tool - which will allow you to conduct in -depth research and study, effectively combining theory and practice, and improve learning efficiency ..
- Bone highly stratified, retro and old look. All processes are made by sanding. It has a very realistic sense of history. Classic or retro-adapting to any furnishings and collectibles for all fans of wildlife and fossil fans! Dimensions (approx.): 48 * 15 * 13 cm / 18.8 x 5.9 x 5.1 "Weight: 3000g / 105.8 ONCIA.
- A perfect gift for Crocodrillo Skull enthusiasts. It is also a perfect decorations for your friends and families. for teaching decor and collectibles. Used for home furniture, souvenirs, bars, coffee, personalized exhibitors, personal collections, etc.
Late Miocene remains from Venta del Moro, Spain, provide another point of comparison. A Cambridge University Press explainer dates them to about 6.2 million years ago and describes disarticulated skull and jaw portions, vertebrae, and osteoderms. The material is considered compatible with Crocodylus, but it lacks diagnostic features for an unambiguous genus identification. The authors discuss arrival from Africa as a hypothesis, while noting that more fossils are needed to test it; that proposal does not explain the Vienna animal.
The distinction is therefore one of both geography and evidence:
Rank #2
- Annimal fans of wellness - Real Crocodile Skull model samples, this skeleton model is useful for studying anatomy for animal bones. Exquisite invoice, faithful to the scale, realistic Pieces.it is the well -being of animal lovers, it is possible to use it as a sample or home decoration.
- Bone highly stratified, retro and old look. All processes are made by sanding. It has a very realistic sense of history. Classic or retro-adapting to any furnishings and collectibles for all fans of wildlife and fossil fans! Dimensions (approx.): 48 * 15 * 13 cm / 18.8 x 5.9 x 5.1 "Weight: 3000g / 105.8 ONCIA.
- High Quatity material - in resin: each Animal Skull replica is made by a resin, as well as affixed to plastic. As a resin is very robust and long-lasting, it will not be pit, crumple or mark like skulls plastic quarries. The resin material gives the bone as the touch and the appearance that is essential ..
- learning tool - which will allow you to conduct in -depth research and study, effectively combining theory and practice, and improve learning efficiency ..
- A perfect gift for Crocodrillo Skull enthusiasts. It is also a perfect decorations for your friends and families. for teaching decor and collectibles. used for home furniture, souvenirs, bars, coffee, personalized exhibitors, personal collections, etc.
| Fossil record | What is reported | What the evidence supports |
|---|---|---|
| Hernals, Vienna | Mid-Sarmatian osteoderm; 2025 study | Latest currently known Central European occurrence; tentatively assigned to Diplocynodon |
| Baza-1, Spain | Tooth dated to 4.5 million years ago | Reported as the latest crocodile evidence found in Europe; distinct from the Vienna fossil |
| Venta del Moro, Spain | Disarticulated remains dated to about 6.2 million years ago | Compatible with Crocodylus, but not diagnostic enough for an unambiguous genus identification |
How a small fragment can change the record
Fossils are incomplete samples of past life. Crocodilians continually replace their teeth, so teeth can be relatively frequent in deposits, but an isolated tooth may not identify its owner reliably. Bones are rarer and can carry more useful identifying features. An osteoderm can therefore matter to the fossil record even when it is only one fragment: its age and anatomy may extend a group’s known regional range, while still leaving its precise identity uncertain.
That is why the careful conclusion is about the youngest known occurrence, not an exact extinction date. A record can move when a newly recognized fossil is found; it cannot by itself establish when the final animal died.
Windows Errors? Fix Them Before They Spread
Repair common Windows errors and clear accumulated junk for a smoother, more stable PC - no reinstall needed.Free scan · no reinstallCrashes, No Sound, or Screen Glitches?
Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minuteRank #3
- High Quatity material - in resin: each Animal Skull replica is made by a resin, as well as affixed to plastic. As a resin is very robust and long-lasting, it will not be pit, crumple or mark like skulls plastic quarries. The resin material gives the bone as the touch and the appearance that is essential ..
- Annimal fans of wellness - Real Crocodile Skull model samples, this skeleton model is useful for studying anatomy for animal bones. Exquisite invoice, faithful to the scale, realistic Pieces.it is the well -being of animal lovers, it is possible to use it as a sample or home decoration.
- learning tool - which will allow you to conduct in -depth research and study, effectively combining theory and practice, and improve learning efficiency ..
- Bone highly stratified, retro and old look. All processes are made by sanding. It has a very realistic sense of history. Classic or retro-adapting to any furnishings and collectibles for all fans of wildlife and fossil fans! Dimensions (approx.): 48 * 15 * 13 cm / 18.8 x 5.9 x 5.1 "Weight: 3000g / 105.8 ONCIA.
- A perfect gift for Crocodrillo Skull enthusiasts. It is also a perfect decorations for your friends and families. for teaching decor and collectibles. Used for home furniture, souvenirs, bars, coffee, personalized exhibitors, personal collections, etc.
What the finding does—and does not—show
- It shows: crocodilians are represented in Central Europe by a fossil occurrence later than the region’s previously known record, based on the Hernals specimen.
- It suggests: the osteoderm may belong to Diplocynodon, but the genus assignment is tentative.
- It does not show: a complete skeleton, a certain species identification, the precise date of regional extinction, or that this was Europe’s last crocodilian.
Other northern European fossils are a separate story
A 2025 review also discusses an osteoderm from the Szczerców field of Poland’s Bełchatów mine, described as the world’s northernmost Neogene crocodilian record. It is a different fossil from the Hernals specimen and does not determine which crocodilian occurrence is latest in Central Europe. In an institutional report about the Polish find, co-discoverer Marcin Górka recalled that the fragment initially looked ordinary, until preparation revealed its characteristic side as a crocodilian skin plate.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
