Fresh evidence from the world of dog-eating dogs from prehistoric oceans has been revealed by fossil hunters who have discovered the remains of a giant marine reptile with another enormous animal in its stomach.
Dived in southwestern China in 2010, the animals are thought to have lived in the Middle Triassic.
The team said that the larger fossil, almost 5 meters in length, is the remains of a marine reptile, known as ichthyosaur – creatures with a long snout, similar in appearance to a dolphin – while the smaller fossil there, about 4 meters in length, belongs to a species called Xinpusaurus xingyiensis, a species of marine reptile known as a thalattosaur.
The international team of researchers says that the ichthyosaur, Guizhouichthyosaurus, was not previously thought to have been a top predator – not least because its teeth lacked cutting edges and were best thought to catch soft prey, such as squid. But the findings suggest otherwise, revealing his last meal was a being bigger than an adult human.
“It probably represents the oldest record of predation of megafaunal by a marine reptile,” the team wrote in the journal iScience, adding the discovery also broke records for the longest prey of such creatures.
The findings could also change the reputation of other creatures: “There were many more Mesozoic marine reptiles with similar teeth, so megafaunal predation was probably more widespread than currently thought,” the team said.
While the team said it remained unclear whether the ichthyosaur was looking for the thalattosaurus, or if it was just locating the meal, they said the former was more likely.
“As a predator other than Guizhouichthyosaurus killed the thalattosaur issue, it would be strange for the nutrient-rich trunk and limbs to be left intact by the predator, ”they said. Among further evidence, they noted that the decomposition of a dead creature would have been rapid, the head and tail of the thalattosaurus appearing to have been burned before eating, while the thalattosaur was probably introduced near the surface, to it would have taken time to swallow.
Dr Nick Fraser, a paleontologist at the National Museum of Scotland who was not involved in the work, said it could often be difficult to make sure one creature was eaten by another, instead of two fossils. t just lay on top of each other, but that did not make the case for the new find.
“In this case, I find it very convincing that the Xinpusaurus is indeed the Guizhouichthyosaurus last meal, ”he said, adding the peg-like teeth of the larger reptile, it was surprising that it could grip and swallow the thalattosaur.
“I agree with the authors [Xinpusaurus] was probably taken live prisoner as scavenged, but maybe [the thalattosaur] was not a healthy individual, ”he said.
‘I think in any case it is clear that it was a step too far for the ichthyosaur. As such, this may represent a rather unusual event in a day in the life of a Triassic marine reptile. But it quite magically brings to life a como of interaction with animals in the sea, about 230 million years ago. “
