The fossilized bite suggests that there could have been a dramatic conflict between the giant terrorist bird and the even larger crocodile about 12 million years ago.
Forsulhasid, commonly known as “terrorist birds,” was a pinnacle predator that terrorized prey in the ancient South American ecosystem. These unflighted carnivorous animals were rarely afraid of the land, but a new study published in a biology letter on Tuesday (July 22) shows that they were not necessarily safe around the water.
Researchers analyzed tooth marks on the leg bones of one of the largest terrorist birds discovered to date (estimated to have stood more than nine feet tall (2.7 meters)). The team concluded that the 15-foot-long Caiman is likely responsible for the mark.
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“We’ve learned that terrorist birds can also become prey. [upon] Author Andres Link, a paleontologist and biologist at the University of Andes in Colombia, is at risk even for apex predators.
The study does not rule out the possibility that the terrorist bird simply died near a body of water and then munched by the Caiman.
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Researchers first published fossils of terrorist birds in a study published last year. The authors of the study said they have not yet published an analysis of the four tooth marks on their bones when they suspected the crocodile had killed the bird.
In the new study, researchers evaluated bite marks by creating detailed 3D images of the fossil. Research showed that bone size did not show signs of healing, but bone size and shape were consistent with those delivered by Caiman, 15.1-15.8 feet (4.6-4.8 m) long.
The team assumed Purussaurus neivensis, the largest ancient caiman species of Laventa, was behind the bite. However, the person in charge is sub-adult and will not have grown completely yet. The link is P. He told Live Science that neivensis can grow to about 33 feet (10 m) in length. “It was a huge animal!” he said.
Without direct evidence that Caiman eats terrorist birds, the findings represent anecdotal accounts of aquatic apex predators eating land apex predators during the Miocene era (23-5 million years ago).
“In my opinion, this study contributes to understanding the diet of Purussaurus, a horrifying landscape near a body of water. [at] Laventa during the mid-Miocene and complex ecological interactions in the proto-Amazon ecosystem [tropical] South America,” Link said.
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