Vietnam.vn - Nền tảng quảng bá Việt Nam

70 million year old super predator fossil discovered in Argentina

The creature, named Kostensuchus atrox, belonged to a group of "supercarnivores" that existed during the late Cretaceous period, just before the dinosaurs became extinct.

VietnamPlusVietnamPlus27/08/2025

On August 27, Argentine scientists announced an important archaeological discovery of a giant ancient reptile in the Patagonia region.

The creature, named Kostensuchus atrox, belonged to a group of "supercarnivores" that existed during the late Cretaceous period, just before the dinosaurs became extinct.

The research project, led by experts from the Bernardino Rivadavia National Museum of Natural Sciences (Argentina), with the collaboration of scientists from Brazil, Portugal and Japan, was published in the prestigious scientific journal Plos One.

This rare fossil specimen was found in an area near the city of El Calafate, Santa Cruz province in the Patagonia region.

At that time, the Patagonia region was a freshwater floodplain with a warm and seasonally wet climate, creating a diverse habitat for many creatures such as dinosaurs, turtles, frogs and ancient mammals.

Remarkably, the intact fossil set includes a skull, jaw and many other skeletal parts, dating back about 70 million years, belonging to the Chorrillo Formation.

With an impressive length of up to 3.5 meters and a mass of about 250 kg, Kostensuchus atrox is identified as one of the apex predators of the ancient ecosystem. This species possessed large, strong teeth and extremely powerful jaw muscles, allowing it to hunt and take down even medium-sized dinosaur prey.

Scientists determined that Kostensuchus atrox was not a dinosaur but belonged to the peirosáurido group - an extinct branch of ancient crocodiles, related to the modern American alligator.

The species' most notable features were its large shoulder blades and robust humerus, making it the second most formidable predator recorded in the Chorrillo Formation.

This discovery is not only the first crocodilian fossil found in the area, but also contributes significantly to the exploration and understanding of the ancient ecosystem in Patagonia before the mass extinction event at the end of the Cretaceous period./.

(TTXVN/Vietnam+)

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/phat-hien-hoa-thach-sieu-thu-san-moi-70-trieu-nam-tuoi-tai-argentina-post1058407.vnp


Comment (0)

No data
No data

Same tag

Same category

Young people go to the Northwest to check in during the most beautiful rice season of the year
In the season of 'hunting' for reed grass in Binh Lieu
In the middle of Can Gio mangrove forest
Quang Ngai fishermen pocket millions of dong every day after hitting the jackpot with shrimp

Same author

Heritage

Figure

Enterprise

Com lang Vong - the taste of autumn in Hanoi

News

Political System

Destination

Product