This 23-foot crocodylian may have ruled South America’s food chain
New research indicates that the massive Purussaurus neivensis crocodylian was the dominant predator in South America's Miocene ecosystem. Despite competition from other large predators, these crocodylians were the primary hunters of large prey in the region's vast lake systems.
Why it matters
Understanding ancient ecosystems helps scientists reconstruct evolutionary history and the environmental pressures that shaped modern biodiversity.
More than 10 million years ago, South America was home to an ecosystem filled with enormous animals and formidable predators. During the Miocene, a geological period that lasted for millions of years, a vast lake covered a large portion of the continent. Its waters supported giant turtles and crocodylians, while an extraordinary collection of hunters prowled the surrounding shores.
Those predators included anacondas, saber toothed mammals, flightless "terror birds" and sebecids, a group of land dwelling relatives of crocodylians. Despite this intense competition, new research indicates that crocodylians occupied an especially important place in the ecosystem and were the most significant group of predators in the region.
"There was so much prey available that mammalian predators couldn't have eaten it all," says Oscar Wilson, postdoctoral researcher at the University of Helsinki.
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