The bite marks reveal that giant terrorist birds were potentially prey for another predator Apex – Caiman Gigantesque
The fossilized bite marks suggest that there could have been a dramatic fight between a gigantic terrorist bird and an even more massive crocodile about 12 million years ago.
The Phorusrhacides, commonly known as “terrorist birds”, were predators of apex who terrorized prey in ancient ecosystems of South America. While these carnivores without theft had little to fear on earth, a new study, published Tuesday July 22 in the journal Biology lettersIndicates that they were not necessarily safe around the water.
The researchers analyzed dental marks on the leg bone of one of the The biggest terrorist birds ever discovered – Estimated at a height of more than 9 feet (2.7 meters) – Discovery on the fossil site of the Venta in Colombia. The team concluded that a 15 -foot long caiman (4.7 meters) was probably responsible for brands.
“We have learned that terrorist birds could also be practical [upon] And that even being an Apex predator has risks, “principal perpetrator of the study Andrés linkPaleontologist and biologist at the Andes University in Colombia, Live Science told an email.
The study does not exclude the possibility that the terrorist bird was simply dead near a body of water and was then nibbled by the Caiman, which makes it a case of recovery rather than hunting.
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The researchers first revealed the fossil terrorist of birds in a study Published last year. The study authors said at the time that they suspected that a crocodilian had killed the bird, but they had not yet published any analysis of the four dental brands found on the bone.
For the new study, the researchers evaluated the bite brand by creating detailed 3D images of the fossil. The bone marks had no signs of healing, while the size and shape of the marks were in accordance with those delivered by a Caiman which was approximately 15.1 to 15.8 feet (4.6 to 4.8 m) long, depending on the study.
The team has hypothesized that the greatest species of ancient Caiman in the Venta, Purussaurus Neivensiswas behind the bite. However, the responsible person would have been a subadadult and not yet fully cultivated. Link said in live science that P. Neivensis could grow up to about 33 feet (10 m) long. “It was a massive animal!” He said.
Without direct evidence of the Caiman eating the terrorist bird, the results represent an anecdotal report of an aquatic predator of apex feeding on an land predator in the middle of the Miocene era (23 million to 5 million years).
“In my opinion, this study contributes to understanding the diet of Purussuerusthe landscape of fear near water bodies [at] Venta during the Middle Miocene and complex ecological interactions in protoamazonian ecosystems of [tropical] South America, “said Link.
