At 12 feet and 550 pounds, this relative of crocodile devoured dinosaurs about 70 million years ago
In the floodplates in the south of Patagonia about 70 million years ago, a large predator was hiding. Armed with strong jaws and clear and serrated teeth – perfect for piercing and slice through the flesh – the creature broke and mastered its prey.
This predator ate dinosaurs, but, perhaps above all, it was not a dinosaur himself. Instead, he was a former crocodile parent – a crocodyliform – described by paleontologists and doubled Atrox costs search in a new study. Discovered from the Chorrillo formation fossils in southern Patagonia in Argentina, the species lived in the dinosaurs’ extinction complex, which were probably one of its main food sources.
“The discovery of Cost search Considerably enriches our understanding of terrestrial ecosystems that have developed along the floodplays, “wrote paleontologists in their study, recently published in Plos one. “The new crocodyliform adds to the predatory component of terrestrial ecosystems.”
Read more: how the crocodiles survived more than 230 million years and two mass extinction events
Predator Apex of Argentina
Kostensuchus Atrox – Skull already prepared, released from the rock.
(Image Credit: José Brusco, CC-By 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/))))
The formation of Argentia Chorrillo dates back to around 70 million years – hot and humid weather in the middle of the age of the Cretaceous Maastrichtian. At the time, the flooding plains of fresh water extended on the surface of southern Patagonia, serving as a fireplace of theropods, sauropods and a crowd of ornithischian – the herbivorous dinosaurs “with bird breaking” which include ankylosaurs, the Hadrosaurs and many others.
“”Cost search“Wrote paleontologists in their study,” was part of the last ecosystem of the Cretaceous of southern Patagonia, in a freshwater ecosystem under a hot temperate climate with seasonal humidity, alongside a diversified fauna of dinosaurs, mammals and other vertebrates. »»
In fact, the predator also shared the landscape with fish, frogs, turtles and several creatures in the shape of a skipstick and swabs Cost search, which probably targeted greater prey, such as ornithischians.
“The new species was capable of subjecting great prey,” added the study, suggesting that the species “played the role of a higher predator within this final-creatory ecosystem”.
Find out more: Prehistoric crocodile fossil shows that species have turned out 5 million years later than thought
Peirosaurides in Patagonia
Kostensuchus Atrox – mounted skeleton (3D print rebuilt and painted).
(Image Credit: José Brusco, CC-By 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/))))
Discovered About 19 miles from the city of El Calafate, Cost searchThe fossils are finely preserved, including a skull, a set of jaws and an assortment of body bones, with hip bones, rib bones, even fragments of leg bone. Based on these fossils, paleontologists believe that Cost search was a “hypercarnivore” 12 feet long and 550 pounds – one of the largest in Chorrillo’s formation, as well as his first crocodyliform.
According to paleontologists, Cost search is not just any crocodyliform, but a peirosaurid crocodyliform – a particular type of terrestrial reptile linked to modern crocodiles and alligators but which died in the same extinction event which destroyed the dinosaurs about 66 million years ago.
“The discovery of Cost search“Wrote paleontologists in their analysis,” provides the first complete overview of the anatomy of the peirosaurids with large and leafy which prospered at the end of the Cretaceous. »»
However Cost searchThe members were longer those of the crocodiles and modern alligators, which suggests that the species lived on earth, it is possible that it also spent a little time in the water. Indeed, Cost searchThe anatomy suggests that the species was more mobile than the other terrestrial crocodyliforms, with “a wider range of movements” and a “more sprawling limb” which could agree “a more aquatic lifestyle”, according to the study.
The fossils of Cost search are therefore a treasure of information for a future study, offering researchers important information on the lives and lifestyles of the crocodyliforms Peirosaurid who really governed the world, or at least the south of Patagonia, at the end of the era of dinosaurs.
Find out more: The first former parent of crocodile 237 million years ago was determined in Brazil
Sources of articles
Our Discovermagazine.com writers use studies evaluated by high -quality peers and sources for our articles, and our publishers examine scientific precision and editorial standards. Review the sources used below for this article:
