A new species of carnivorous reptile that roamed the Earth before the existence of dinosaurs has been unearthed in Africa.

"Nundasuchus songeaensis" was about 9-feet long with sharp teeth resembling steak knives, bony plates on the back and four legs.

The creature was a member of the largest reptiles preceding dinosaurs, said Sterling Nesbitt, assistant professor in Virginia Tech's College of Science.

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The meaning of the creature's generic name, Nundasuchus, is "predator crocodile." "Nunda" is a Greek word for predator while "sachus" is a Swahili word for crocodile. 

The specific name, songeaensis, comes from the African town, Songea where the fossils were found.

A team of researchers from Virginia Tech made the partial discovery in 2007 and has been responsible for the study needed to scientifically piece together the bones. Although a large number of skeletons were previously recovered, most parts of the skull were not found despite the team's effort. 

Nundasuchus was found in Tanzania where Nesbitt and the team were looking for prehistoric relatives of crocodiles and birds.

The find will help fill a huge gap in understanding the mysteries from pre-dinosaurial evolutionary periods that has bugged scientists for years.

There's still a prodigious amount of coherent research needed into the types of creatures that inhabited these regions. A number of geological maps need to be drafted to ascertain the best locations to search for the fossils.

That said the find itself is an "eureka moment" for the team. The researchers said that within half a minute of finding an exposed bone from the dig site, it was apparent the remains were from a new species.

Details of the findings were published in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology.

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