US EditionPaleontologists discover dinosaur-era crocodile in Patagonia
Kostensuchus atrox, a 3.5-meter hypercarnivorous crocodile, was a top predator alongside the giant dinosaur Maip macrothorax in Patagonia's Late Cretaceous ecosystem.
- Scientists discovered a large predator named Kostensuchus atrox in 2020 near El Calafate, southern Patagonia, from the Late Cretaceous Chorrillo Formation.
- This discovery followed intensive study by CONICET researchers to reconstruct Patagonia's complex ecosystem 70 million years ago when rivers and floodplains supported diverse life.
- Kostensuchus atrox was a hypercarnivorous peirosaurid crocodile about 3.5 meters long that hunted medium-sized dinosaurs using brute force and a powerful bite.
- Its skull measured about 20 inches, featured a wide snout with over 50 serrated teeth, and the species stands as the southernmost peirosaurid record, expanding vertebrate diversity in Patagonia.
- This find highlights crocodile relatives as dominant terrestrial predators alongside dinosaurs, suggesting predator competition shaped survival before the mass extinction.
12 Articles
12 Articles
A giant crocodile-like hypercarnivore likely hunted dinosaurs 70 million years ago in what is now Argentina, a new study finds. Researchers have discovered the fossilized skeleton of the extinct predator in southern Patagonia that was 3.5 meters long and weighed about 250 kilograms. The creature has been named Costensux atrox after the Patagonian wind called “Kosten” and the crocodile-headed Egyptian god Sobek, also known as Sucus. Costensux atr…
The discovery in Argentina of the fossil remains of an extinct species of peirosaurid confirms the biological connections between South America and Africa, when both were united in a megacontinent
Fierce crocodile relative Kostensuchus atrox found in Patagonia
Seventy million years ago, southern Patagonia was a warm, seasonally wet landscape where dinosaurs, turtles, frogs, and mammals thrived. Hidden within its floodplains, a powerful predator stalked its prey. Thanks to a remarkably complete fossil unearthed near El Calafate in Argentina’s Santa Cruz Province, you now know its name: Kostensuchus atrox. An Exceptional Discovery The fossil, described in PLOS One by Fernando Novas of the Museo Argentin…
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 60% of the sources are Center
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
