Scientists say a giant predator that lived 240 million years ago was decapitated by a single savage bite from an even more deadly creature.
A severed animal, whose neck was torn in half during the attack, belonged to this species Tanystropheus hydroids – a marine reptile that can reach a length of 19.5 feet (6 meters). It was an ambush predator, feeding on fish and squid in what was a tropical lake during the middle Triassic period (247 to 237 million years ago).
Tanystropheus Their necks were so long that in some cases their necks were three times the length of their torsos. The headless animal came from Fossil site of Monte San Giorgiowhich borders Switzerland and Italy and has a tremendous record of marine life from the middle Triassic period.
Stephen Spykmana vertebrate paleontologist at the State Museum of Natural History in Stuttgart, in Germany, has been studying two Tanystropheus Specimens as part of his PhD work at the Fossil Museum of Switzerland, University of Zurich. The first belongs to T. hydroideswhile the second T. longobardicus – a smaller species, about 5 feet (1.5 meters) long.
A closer look at the fossils showed that the necks were severed, with bite marks evident on some vertebrates.
speakman f Yoald MughalA paleontologist at the State Museum of Natural History in Stuttgart analyzed bite marks and bone fractures to find out what happened to these ancient creatures. The results indicate that they were attacked by another predator that appears to have targeted their long necks as a weak point on the body.
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“We found two holes in the teeth exactly where the neck is fractured, and the neck is fractured in one diagonal plain,” Speakman told Live Science in an email. “This indicates that the neck was bitten off in a single bite.” He added that there may have been a few initial bites that didn’t hit the bone, but that “it’s very plausible that it was a large predator.” [off] neck all at once, especially considering the large predators that were present in that environment.”
In a new study published Monday (June 19) in the Current BiologyThe researchers found evidence that the attack occurred from above, with the predator swooping down and biting its neck to decapitate it Tanystropheus. There was no trace of the bodies, but the heads and what was left of the necks were well preserved. This indicates that the predator targeted its long necks to kill quickly Tanystropheus They could even feed on their fleshy bodies.
List of potential killers
What creature could kill a 20-foot long ambush predator? Speakman said the sheer diversity of Monte San Giorgio means the list of potential killers is large. By measuring the distance between the teeth’s holes, scientists can compare bite size to the large predators that lived in the area at the time.
“That left us with a definitive list of suspects,” Speakman said. These include Cymbospondylus buchseri – a large, early ichthyosaur that could grow up to 18 feet (5.5 m) long – and Nothosaurus giganteus It is a huge reptile, reaching a height of 23 feet (7 meters). The third possibility is Helveticosaurus zollingerian “extremely fuzzy” predator measuring 12 feet (3.6 m) long with strong forelimbs, a flexible tail, and a strong, toothy snout.
The researchers said though Tanystropheus Long necks were a weakness, and reptiles with long, rigid necks persisted for about 175 million years, indicating that they played an important role during the Triassic period.
The fact that we have two types of Tanystropheus in Monte San Giorgio with different sizes and diets…their long, solid necks appear to have been multifunctional,” said Speakman.
“We think the relatively small heads and long necks would have helped Tanystropheus It ambushes its prey, because in water with low visibility it would be very difficult to spot this head of any prey. Also, sticking to shallow water, Tanystropheus He was probably able to avoid large predators… most of the time.”
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