A Seven-Meter Crocodile May Have Ruled South America’s Food Chain

A new study of tooth marks on fossil bones shows that it was crocodylomorphs that played the leading role in hunting large prey. Particularly often, bite marks match what could have been left by Purussaurus neivensis—a giant relative of modern caimans. It reached about 7 meters in length and weighed around 1.8 tons.

Scientists from the University of Helsinki and colleagues analyzed herbivore bones dating from 10.5–16 million years ago from museum collections. Bite marks are one of the few direct pieces of evidence of who ate whom. By the frequency and nature of the damage, Purussaurus appears to have been a key predator of the ecosystem.

The authors suggest that such a large crocodile could not only hunt individual animals, but also influence the population size of giant herbivores. This changes our understanding of how tropical ecosystems of the past functioned: it was not only mammals that dominated, but also enormous aquatic reptiles.

In the picture: reconstruction: Purussaurus neivensis attacks Pericotoxodon platignathus. Author: Miguel Hernandez

Sources:

1. University of Helsinki. "This 23-foot crocodylian may have ruled South America’s food chain." ScienceDaily (19 August 2026).
2. Wilson O.E. et al. "Physical evidence of crocodylian predation on ungulates in the Middle Miocene of Colombia." Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology (2026). DOI: 10.1080/02724634.2026.2701154.

Author: Maksim Aleksandrovich Erdyakov.