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Voay
''Voay'' is an extinct genus of crocodile from Madagascar and includes only one species—''V. robustus''. Numerous subfossils have been found, including complete skulls as well as vertebrae and osteoderms from such places as Ambolisatra and Antsirabe. The genus is thought to have become extinct relatively recently during the Holocene. It has even been suggested to have disappeared in the extinction event that wiped out much of the endemic megafauna such as the elephant bird following the arrival of humans to Madagascar around 2000 years ago.
Its size, stature, and presumed behavior is similar to the modern Nile crocodile (''Crocodylus niloticus''). Because ''V. robustus'' shared so many similarities with the Nile crocodile there must have been a great deal of interspecific competition for resources between the two crocodile genera if they were to have coexisted with one another. It has recently been proposed that the Nile crocodile only migrated to the island from mainland Africa after ''V. robustus'' had gone extinct in Madagascar.
==Description==
One unusual feature of ''V. robustus'' that distinguishes it from other crocodilians is the presence of prominent "horns" extending from the posterior portion of the skull. They are actually the posterolaterally extended corners of the squamosal bone. Other related crocodilians such as ''Aldabrachampsus'' also had similar bony projections, although in ''Aldabrachampsus'' these projections were more like crests than horns. Another diagnostic characteristic is the near-exclusion of the nasals from the external naris. It had a shorter and deeper snout than the extant ''Crocodylus niloticus'', as well as relatively robust limbs. The osteoderms had tall keels and were dorsally symmetrical with curved lateral margins, running the entire length of the postcranial body.
''V. robustus'' has been estimated to have obtained lengths up to 5 m (16.4 ft) and a weight of 170 kg (375 lbs). These estimates suggest that ''V. robustus'' was the largest predator to have ever existed in Madagascar in recent times.
抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』
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