Ancient Fossils Reveal Surprising Final Stronghold of Terrifying Terrestrial Crocodiles
Revised Article:
Stepping into the era of mammals, after the demise of dinosaurs, one might assume that the land was solely their domain. But that's not entirely accurate, particularly in South America where terrifying land-dwelling crocs called sebecids became dominant apex predators.
Before now, the most recent fossils of these crocs were discovered in Colombia, dating back 10.5-12.5 million years. However, recent excavations in the Dominican Republic have uncovered remarkably older remains, dating back 5-7 million years. Although the finds were partial, they suggest these creatures grew up to around 7 feet (2 meters) in length—a far cry from the colossal sebecids that could reach 20 feet (6 meters) in length.
These formidable predators, referred to as the 'nightmare crocs' by lead author Lázaro Vinõla López, a graduate student at the University of Florida's paleontology department, sat atop the South American food chain alongside terror birds, giant flightless birds boasting massive hooked beaks, and saber-toothed marsupials. A seeming blast from the prehistoric past, sebecids displayed crocodilian characteristics while wrapping them in a meat-eating dinosaur-like package.
Equipped with long legs, an upright stance, and a narrow, deep skull, these terror-inducing creatures were built for speed and had serrated teeth designed to slice and dice meat. Furthermore, their armor—bony plates called scutes—offered additional protection.
The Dominican Republic discovery supports the GAARlandia hypothesis, which suggests temporary land bridges or an island chain once connected South America to the Caribbean, allowing these terrifying reptiles to migrate to the islands. Working on the assumption that fossils of two teeth found in Cuba date back to 18 million years and another in Puerto Rico is about 29 million years old, these findings also suggest that sebecids were widespread in the West Indies.
Sebecids, being fully terrestrial notosuchians, couldn't colonize islands like their saltwater-tolerant modern cousins. Instead, the islands served as a last refuge for these awe-inspiring predators, showcasing their enduring presence and the critical role islands play in preserving biodiversity.
- In the Triassic period, mammals started to become more prevalent after the extinction of dinosaurs, but in South America, sebecids - a type of terrifying land-dwelling crocs - became the dominant apex predators.
- Graduate student Lázaro Vinõla López, from the University of Florida's paleontology department, referred to sebecids as the 'nightmare crocs.'
- Recent excavations in the Dominican Republic have uncovered older sebecids remains, dating back 5-7 million years, suggesting these creatures grew to around 7 feet in length.
- Saber-toothed marsupials, giant flightless birds with massive hooked beaks, and terror birds were other apex predators that shared the South American food chain with sebecids during that era.
- Although sebecids displayed crocodilian characteristics, they had a dinosaur-like appearance with long legs, an upright stance, a narrow, deep skull, serrated teeth, and armor-like bony plates called scutes.
- The GAARlandia hypothesis, which suggests temporary land bridges or an island chain once connected South America to the Caribbean, is supported by the discovery of sebecids in the Dominican Republic.
- The findings also indicate that sebecids were widespread in the West Indies, with fossils dating back to 18 million years in Cuba and around 29 million years in Puerto Rico.
- Unlike their modern counterparts, sebecids were fully terrestrial and could not colonize islands. Instead, islands served as a last refuge for these awe-inspiring predators, demonstrating the crucial role islands play in preserving biodiversity in the realm of environmental science, technology, sustainable living, home-and-garden, sports (like football in European leagues), data-and-cloud-computing, lifestyle, and climate-change studies.
