A remarkably well-preserved fossil from southern Patagonia in Argentina has revealed a new species of large crocodile relative that once roamed the area's freshwater floodplains.
The fossilised skeleton, which includes a skull, jaws and multiple body bones, was discovered 20 miles south-west of the Argentine town of El Calafate in the Chorrillo Formation, a fossil-rich site dating to the Maastrichtian age, just before the mass extinction that ended the age of dinosaurs.
Named Kostensuchus atrox, the apex predator lived around 70 million years ago and probably preyed on dinosaurs, according to new research published in PLOS One.
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Kostensuchus atrox: a fierce predator
With an estimated length of 3.5 metres and a weight of 250 kilograms, K. atrox was of impressive stature, and the animal had wide jaws and sharp teeth capable of tackling large prey. Researchers think it was 'hypercarnivore' – an animal whose diet is made up of more than 70% meat – that ate medium-sized dinosaurs.
“This is the first crocodyliform fossil from the Chorrillo Formation, and one of the most intact peirosaurids ever found,” says lead author of the study Fernando Novas from Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales.
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The discovery also provides new clues about ancient Patagonian environments, which were warm and seasonally humid, home to dinosaurs, turtles, frogs and mammals. "Our study shows this species was the second-largest predator in the Chorrillo Formation,” says Novas, who believes K. atrox was among the most dominant predators in the area.
The name Kostensuchus atrox includes both local and cultural references: Kosten comes from the Tehuelche word for the fierce Patagonian wind, while Souchos is the Egyptian crocodile-headed god. The Latin atrox means 'harsh' or 'fierce'.
Top image: Kostensuchus atrox skull. Credit: José Brusco, CC-BY 4.0
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