Kostensuchus atrox belonged to an extinct group of reptiles closely related to modern crocodiles and alligators. (Image credit: Gabriel Diaz Janten, CC-BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/))
A new study has found that a giant crocodile-like hyperpredator likely stalked dinosaurs around 70 million years ago in what is now Argentina.
In 2020, scientists discovered the fossilized remains of an extinct dominant predator in southern Patagonia. It was approximately 11.5 feet (3.5 meters) long and weighed about 550 pounds (250 kilograms).
The creature has been named Kostensuchus atrox after the Patagonian wind “Kosten” and the crocodile-headed Egyptian deity Sobek, also known as Suhus. K. atrox was a hypercarnivore, meaning its diet was more than 70% meat-based. Its anatomical features — a broad snout, large teeth, and strong forelimbs — indicate it was capable of hunting large animals during the Cretaceous period of South America (145 to 66 million years ago), according to a paper published in the journal PLOS One on Wednesday (August 27).
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The discovery highlights the diversity of organisms that coexisted with dinosaurs, said lead author Fernando Novas of CONICET and the Felix de Azara Foundation.
“Land crocodiles were highly diverse and abundant in Cretaceous South America and Africa, including forms of varying sizes and diets, supporting the status of these continents as ‘crocodile territory,’” Novas wrote in an email to Live Science. “These ancient reptiles competed with and were preyed upon by dinosaurs, playing key roles in the ecosystems that have disappeared.”
K. atrox belonged to a group of crocodile-like peirosaurids, extinct relatives of modern crocodiles. The remains are exceptionally well preserved, making this specimen one of the most complete of the large, broad-snouted members of the family.
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Scientists discovered K. atrox in the Chorrillo Formation in Patagonia. A larger predatory dinosaur, Maip macrothorax, was also discovered and described in 2022. M. macrothorax was a 9-10 metre long megaraptor, according to CBBC Newsround.
Despite its smaller size, K. atrox could hunt small and medium-sized dinosaurs, competing with the region's largest predators.
Patrick Pester, Social Media, Popular Content Writer
Patrick Pester is a science writer for Live Science. His work has appeared in BBC Science Focus and Scientific American. He began his career in animal rights organisations before moving into journalism. He holds a Master's Excellence Scholarship from Cardiff University and an MSc in Biodiversity from Middlesex University. In his spare time, he studies the human remains trade.
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