# Fossil Balrog discovered in Colombian coal mine **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 1, 2014, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fossil-balrog-discovered-in-colombian-coal-mine/703282 "2014-11-01T18:15:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2014, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fossil-balrog-discovered-in-colombian-coal-mine/703282/1 "2014-11-01T18:15:33Z")
Actually, just a giant crocodile named after the Balrog, but still cool that they referenced Tolkein. (The discoverers include some friends of mine.) [Meet ‘Anthracosuchus balrogus,’ The 900-Pound Prehistoric Crocodile](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/06/05/prehistoric-crocodile-anthracosuchus-balrogus_n_5449674.html) > [@](#): > > It’s called Anthracosuchus balrogus after the fiery Balrog that lurked deep in the Middle-Earth mines of Moria in J.R.R. Tolkien’s novel “The Lord of the Rings.” > > “Much like that giant beast, Anthracosuchus balrogus was [awakened] from deep within a mine after 60 million years trapped within the rocks of tropical South America,” study researcher Jonathan Bloch, associate curator of vertebrate paleontology at the Florida Museum of Natural History, told Live Science in an email. ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2014, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fossil-balrog-discovered-in-colombian-coal-mine/703282/2 "2014-11-01T18:30:53Z")
I see a B movie in this things future. ---
**Author:** ![Filbert](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/filbert/32/3433_2.png) [@Filbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Filbert)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2014, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fossil-balrog-discovered-in-colombian-coal-mine/703282/3 "2014-11-01T18:36:09Z")
But does it have wings? ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2014, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fossil-balrog-discovered-in-colombian-coal-mine/703282/4 "2014-11-01T19:40:59Z")
> [@Filbert](#): > > But does it have wings? If it did they probably would have called it _smaugi_. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2014, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fossil-balrog-discovered-in-colombian-coal-mine/703282/5 "2014-11-01T20:01:48Z")
> [@White SIFL](#): > > I see a B movie in this things future. Balrognado? ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2014, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fossil-balrog-discovered-in-colombian-coal-mine/703282/6 "2014-11-01T20:32:17Z")
> [@lieu](#): > > Balrognado? As long as they don’t jump over it with a motorcycle. ---
**Author:** ![Dendarii\_Dame](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbce88/32.png) [@Dendarii\_Dame](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dendarii_Dame)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2014, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fossil-balrog-discovered-in-colombian-coal-mine/703282/7 "2014-11-01T22:55:46Z")
Fly, you fools! (I can’t believe I’m the first to post that.) ---
**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2014, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fossil-balrog-discovered-in-colombian-coal-mine/703282/8 "2014-11-01T23:13:27Z")
They delved too greedily and too deep? ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2014, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fossil-balrog-discovered-in-colombian-coal-mine/703282/9 "2014-11-03T15:55:06Z")
I wish they had reserved this name for something more terrifying. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2014, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fossil-balrog-discovered-in-colombian-coal-mine/703282/10 "2014-11-03T16:00:46Z")
So where does a 900 pound Balrog sleep? ---
**Author:** ![Eonwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eonwe/32/240_2.png) [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2014, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fossil-balrog-discovered-in-colombian-coal-mine/703282/11 "2014-11-03T17:50:03Z")
You know who else was a 900 pound crocodile from tropical South America? ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2014, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fossil-balrog-discovered-in-colombian-coal-mine/703282/12 "2014-11-03T17:56:26Z")
> [@Filbert](#): > > But does it have wings? Nothing like a dozen Balrog wings and a few brewskies while watching the Sunday game. ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2014, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fossil-balrog-discovered-in-colombian-coal-mine/703282/13 "2014-11-03T20:37:53Z")
> [@billfish678](#): > > Nothing like a dozen Balrog wings and a few brewskies while watching the Sunday game. Particularly if they’re sauced with Mt. Doom Lava-Hot wing sauce. “Ring-melting good!” ---
**Author:** ![Encinitas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@Encinitas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Encinitas)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2014, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fossil-balrog-discovered-in-colombian-coal-mine/703282/14 "2014-11-03T21:10:04Z")
I’ve heard of canaries in a coal mine but this is ridiculous! ---
**Author:** ![dracoi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@dracoi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dracoi)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2014, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fossil-balrog-discovered-in-colombian-coal-mine/703282/15 "2014-11-03T21:16:11Z")
> [@white sifl](#): > > i see a b movie in this things future. you shall not pass!!! ---
**Author:** ![Morgyn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morgyn/32/3041_2.png) [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2014, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fossil-balrog-discovered-in-colombian-coal-mine/703282/16 "2014-11-03T21:21:43Z")
> [@Dendarii\_Dame](#): > > Fly, you fools! (I can’t believe I’m the first to post that.) What, the crocodile? If I were you, I wouldn’t call it a fool. 😉