Paleontologists have made a groundbreaking discovery in the Caribbean, finding evidence of a 20-foot greyhound-like crocodile species that lived during the time of the dinosaurs. The sebecid, a member of the Notosuchia group of extinct crocodilians, is believed to have roamed the islands after its mainland counterparts went extinct.
The discovery was made by a team from the University of Florida, who found fossilized teeth and vertebrae in the Dominican Republic. Further analysis revealed that the animal lived 29 million years ago, during the Eocene epoch, making it one of the oldest known species to inhabit the Caribbean.
Initially, scientists thought large land-based predators were absent from the islands, but the sebecid’s presence challenges this assumption. The team suggests that a temporary land bridge or chain of islands may have connected South America and the Caribbean, allowing the sebecid to reach the islands before its extinction.
The discovery has significant implications for our understanding of the Caribbean’s ecosystem during the Eocene epoch. It highlights the importance of exploring the region’s fossil record and challenges previous assumptions about the presence of large predators on the islands.
The study’s lead author described the find as “exceptional” and “indescribable,” emphasizing that it has opened up new avenues for research in Caribbean paleontology. The team hopes to uncover more secrets from the region’s ancient past, which they believe could revolutionize our understanding of the evolution of life on Earth.
Source: https://interestingengineering.com/science/crocodilian-from-the-age-of-the-dinosaurs-caribbean