Ancient clash: Crocodile bites pterosaur in prehistoric Canada
Scientists have uncovered evidence of an unusual attack: a pterosaur fossil with crocodile bite marks. The attack took place 76 million years ago in Canada.
According to the BBC, this remarkable discovery occurred in Canada in July 2023, shedding new light on the life of pterosaurs from 76 million years ago. The fossil, a cervical vertebra of the pterosaur, was discovered in the province of Alberta and bears distinct bite marks from an ancient crocodile. This finding has been detailed in the "Journal of Paleontology."
Pterosaur bones are very delicate — so finding fossils where another animal has clearly taken a bite is exceptionally uncommon. This specimen being a juvenile makes it even more rare, notes the main author of the article, Caleb Brown, from the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology.
The cervical vertebra discovered belonged to a young pterosaur of the species Cryodrakon boreas. Younger individuals of this species had a wingspan of about 2 metres, whereas adults could achieve a wingspan of up to 10 metres and be the size of a giraffe.
Cryodrakon boreas was among the largest flying creatures in Earth's history and lived during the same era as dinosaurs, being a dominant presence in the sky.
CT scan analysis
Scientists utilised CT scanning to analyse the fossil, which enabled them to confirm that the marks on the bone resulted from a bite, rather than damage during fossilisation or excavation. Scientists believe that the attacker was a crocodile of the species Leidyosuchus canadensis. They suggest that the crocodile might have hunted Cryodrakon boreas when it was alive or scavenged its body post-mortem.
As reported by "The Jerusalem Post," similar findings were made in Romania, where pterosaur fossils of the Azhdarchidae family bore similar bite marks. These discoveries imply that interactions between crocodiles and pterosaurs might have been more common than previously assumed, even though they have seldom been documented. This discovery offers further evidence of the complexity of ancient ecosystems and the interactions between different species.
