What are the connections crocodiles and alligators have to dinosaurs besides carnivorous tendencies?
Answer Dear William Thanks for your question. I also wish to thank the authors of the websites I used. Please note that crocodiles, alligators, birds and dinosaurs are members of the reptile group ‘Archosauria’ (see http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/diapsids/archosauria.html). Crocodiles and alligators (Crocodylia) are not dinosaurs (Dinosauria), so should not be called ‘living dinosaurs’ (see http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/diapsids/archosy.html). Birds are descendants of theropod dinosaurs (see http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/diapsids/saurischia/theropoda.html) and many people say that birds are ‘living dinosaurs’ (see http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/diapsids/avians.html and http://palaeo.gly.bris.ac.uk/communication/boulton/birds.html). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archosaur has a diagram showing different types of archosaurs and the fact that dinosaurs are more closely related to birds than they are to crocodiles and alligators. I hope this helps.
