This 23-foot crocodylian may have ruled South America’s food chain

Recent research into the Miocene ecosystem of South America reveals the dominance of massive crocodylians in the prehistoric food web. Specifically, the genus Purussaurus, reaching lengths of up to 23 feet or seven meters, acted as a top-tier predator. Analysis of fossilized bite marks provides strong evidence that these enormous reptiles exerted significant predatory pressure on local fauna, effectively serving as the primary regulators of giant herbivore populations. This challenges previous assumptions regarding the ecological importance of mammals during this period, highlighting that crocodylians were the spectacular architects of the food chain in this ancient tropical environment.