Various extinct crocodiles like Poposaurus were initially confused with dinosaurs due to some convergent evolution.
But modern crocs lack a lot of distinctive dinosaur traits, like having their legs directly under them.
More to the point, though, look at this fossil of caihong juji and tell me it doesn’t look more like a bird than a crocodile. Through a minor geologic miracle, the feathers were even preserved! It even seems like they were probably quite colorful.
Look at a crocodile and then look at a bird.
Various extinct crocodiles like Poposaurus were initially confused with dinosaurs due to some convergent evolution.
But modern crocs lack a lot of distinctive dinosaur traits, like having their legs directly under them.
More to the point, though, look at this fossil of caihong juji and tell me it doesn’t look more like a bird than a crocodile. Through a minor geologic miracle, the feathers were even preserved! It even seems like they were probably quite colorful.