BRAZIL: Brazilian palaeontologists discover new species of prehistoric sea predator

Record ID: 572592

  • Title: BRAZIL: Brazilian palaeontologists discover new species of prehistoric sea predator
  • Date: 30th March 2008
  • Summary: (L!2) RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL (MARCH 26, 2008) (REUTERS) CURTAINS OPENING TO SHOW FOSSIL OF DISCOVERED SPECIES OF PREHISTORIC CROCODILE PHOTOGRAPHERS TAKING PHOTOS OF FOSSIL OF DISCOVERED SPECIES OF PREHISTORIC CROCODILE VARIOUS OF FOSSIL OF DISCOVERED SPECIES OF PREHISTORIC CROCODILE
  • Embargoed: 14th April 2008 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Brazil
  • Country: Brazil
  • Topics: Environment / Natural World
  • Reuters ID: LVA2RIKB8QYMR31QQ7UOO7CYSSGA
  • Story Text: Brazilian palaeontologists announced on Wednesday (March 26) the discovery of a fossil of a new species of prehistoric crocodile that lived in the country's northeastern Pernambuco state.
    The extremely well-preserved fossil of Guarinisuchus munizi, a large-sized lizard-like predator measuring about 3 meters from head to tail, dates back about 62 million years to the Palaeocene period.
    The discovery shows these reptiles survived the extinction of dinosaurs and allowed researchers to develop new theories about the migration routes of these ancient creatures.
    A researcher from the University of Pernambuco who first located the fossil, Jose Antonio Barbosa, said the new species was found in an iron ore mine.

    "The mining company itself digs large amounts of rocks and this allows us to have access to this material (fossil), which was dug by the mining company and I had access to this material (crocodile fossil)," he said.
    The researchers managed to recover the crocodile's skull, jaw, front legs, spine, and ribs, which allowed them to regard it as a new species.
    Palaeontologist Alexander Kellner from Rio de Janeiro's Federal University, said studies indicate this species was originally from Africa and eventually migrated to South America.

    "We were able to determine that these creatures, these marine crocodiliforms, originated in Africa, from where they migrated to South America -- particularly in the northeastern region of our country -- and from here they migrated to North America," he said.
    The recent discovery also confirmed the theory that these large ancient crocodiles were the largest sea predators during the Palaeocene period.
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