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The ‘Blessed Lizard’ That Inherited the Earth After Its Worst Apocalypse
Yahoo • • science
Key Points:
- Paleontologists in Argentina have discovered Shakajlura riojanensis, a nearly 20-foot-long prehistoric crocodile with blade-like serrated teeth that was an apex predator during the Late Triassic period around 237 million years ago.
- The fossils were found in the Chañares Formation in La Rioja province and represent a rare find of a paracrocodylomorph, shedding light on a poorly understood post-Permian mass extinction ecosystem.
- Shakajlura likely hunted terrestrial prey such as dicynodonts, using its powerful bite and possibly an upright posture for chasing, differing from modern crocodiles’ ambush tactics.
- This discovery helps fill gaps in understanding Triassic biodiversity and suggests that crocodile-like creatures dominated ecosystems before large dinosaurs rose to prominence.
- The extinction of Shakajlura and similar species at the end of the Triassic remains uncertain, with possible causes including small population sizes and competition with early carnivorous dinosaurs.
