In Patagonia, a Cretaceous Monster Found with a Crocodile Fragment in Its Teeth

For centuries, fossils have been sculpting our vision of the missing worlds, but some bones upset more than others the quiet line of genealogical trees. It was at the heart of Patagonia that paleontologists uncovered a rare and unexpected index, capable of bringing the megalosaur of Patagonia to resurface in all its forgotten power.

An unexpected detail immediately intrigued paleontologists. Between the two fossilized dinosaur jaws, a crocodilian humerus seemed frozen in a last embrace. No other fossil was found nearby, strengthening the strangeness of the scene. AP News revealed this discovery as a rare paleontological snapshot, possibly that of a meal suddenly interrupted by death.

The megalosaur of Patagonia fills a void in the tree of evolution

Paleontologists have baptized this new species Joaquinraptor Casaliin tribute to the son of researcher Lucio Ibirici. This late representative of the megaraptorid group belongs to a long family remained enigmatic. The fossils available so far were often fragmentary, preventing any complete reconstruction of these large predators with massive claws and elongated muzzle.

Thanks to its exceptional state of conservation, Joaquinraptor Finally, brings a precious anatomical key. The study published in Nature Communications underlines that this carnivorous dinosaur had an elongated skull, powerful previous members and impressive claws on the first two fingers. These characteristics confirm that the megaraptorids formed a very specialized group of hunters, endowed with a morphology distinct from that of the other great predators of the Cretaceous, such as the Abélisauridae or the Tyrannosauridae.

According to CBS News, paleontologists believe that the discovered individual was about seven meters and weighed more than a ton. Its skeleton also reveals an unfinished growth despite an estimated age at 19, which indicates an even more important development potential.

A bone puzzle that shakes up our vision of carnivorous dinosaurs

Analysis of dentition, long bones and the geological environment indicates that this megalosaur of Patagonia probably occupied the top of the food chain in the wet plains of its time. Unlike the famous T. Rex, whose power resided in the jaws, Joaquinraptor seems to have bet on his oversized arms to capture his prey. This is explained by the paleontologist Matt Lamanna, relayed by CBS News, by comparing the divergent predation strategies in these two carnivorous giants.

The fact that this specimen is one of the last known megaraptoridae just before mass extinction further reinforces its importance. It testifies to resilient line, having been able to cross several million years of evolution by adapting to changing environments. In its last decades, the region's climate had been moistened, then changing the composition of ecosystems. Yet, Joaquinraptor seems to have flourished there, proof of an astonishing ecological plasticity.

Finally, the fossilized skeleton is one of the most complete ever discovered for this group of dinosaurs, and makes it possible to redraw their evolutionary links. It could even belong to a hitherto unknown line, which precedes other more derivative megaraptorids found in Argentina.