I have no way of proving my theory, but I believe that crocodiles are still here purely because of 'survivor bias'.<p>Just like two men might be 18 year-old soldiers. One might be killed in an attack, while the other man next to him survives and lives to be 106 years old. Pure blind chance determines which one survives and the other perishes.<p>Crocodile eggs are laid in sand and hatch after about 90 days. If the timing was just right, a clutch of eggs could be laid just before the asteroid hits.<p>While the worst effects of the asteroid strike are happening, and killing off the dinosaurs and the current <i>living</i> crocodiles, the eggs quietly develop in safety.<p>After 3 months, conditions are improving and just in time for the baby crocodiles to escape the eggs and continue on their 300 million year existence.