The discovery, reported in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B, is the largest known number of crocodile species to have ever co-existed in one place at any time in Earth’s history.
“We uncovered this special moment in time when the ancient mega-wetland ecosystem reached its peak in size and complexity, just before its demise and the start of the modern Amazon River system,” lead author Rodolfo Salas-Gismondi said in a press release.
“At this moment,” he continued, “most known caiman groups co-existed: ancient lineages bearing unusual blunt snouts and globular teeth along with those more generalized feeders representing the beginning of what was to come.”
The site was so croc-rich because it was also a mollusk haven then, although many of the snails, clams and other small creatures wound up as dinner for the crocodiles.
In the paper, Salas-Gismondi and his team describe the seven croc species, three of which are new to science. The “strangest,” they say, was Gnatusuchus pebasensis. It had globe-shaped teeth and used its snout to shovel through mud bottoms, digging for mollusks.
They also mention the crocodile Paleosuchus, which had a longer and higher snout shape that was suitable for catching a variety of prey, like fish and other active swimming vertebrates.
Today the site is home to a vast rain forest, so the fossils shed light on the region’s swampy past.
Read more at Discovery News
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