Argentina: The Intact Remains Of A Prehistoric Crocodile Are Discovered In Patagonia

Big, Bad Croc There was something more dangerous than dinosaurs lurking in the region that is now Argentina around 70 million years ago. Scientists in the country recently uncovered the remains of Kostensuchus atrox, a hypercarnivorous reptile that likely feasted on dinosaurs and rivaled other predators in southern Patagonia during the Cretaceous period. The fossil, unearthed in 2020 from the Chorrillo Formation in southern Argentina, is so well-preserved that researchers could piece together much of its anatomy, including a skull, jaws, and several bones. Its name is a combination of “Kosten,” the Tehuelche word for Patagonian wind, and Suchus, the Egyptian crocodile-headed god Sobek. The species name atrox means “fierce” or “harsh,” the Independent noted. Estimated to be 11.5 feet long and weighing in around 550 pounds, K. atrox wasn’t the largest predator of its time, but it was certainly among the deadliest. The creature had a broad snout, robust forelimbs, and big, sharp teeth that point to a mainly carnivorous diet – likely including medium-sized dinosaurs. “These extinct crocodyles competed and preyed upon dinosaurs, and played an important role in the structure of vanished ecosystems,” lead author Fernando Novas explained to Live Science. The animal belonged to a now-extinct group of reptiles called peirosaurid crocodyliforms – relatives of today’s crocodiles and alligators. Its discovery also sheds light on the diverse and surprisingly crocodile-rich world that dinosaurs inhabited. “In particular, terrestrial (crocodilians) were notably diverse and abundant during Cretaceous times in South America and Africa, including small and large, meat-eating and plant-eating forms, revealing that these continents were ‘land of crocs,’” Novas added. In the same fossil beds, scientists previously uncovered Maip macrothorax, a massive, 30-foot-long megaraptor. While Maip was bigger, K. atrox held its own as the second-largest predator in the area – reminding us that dinosaurs didn’t always rule the neighborhood.