Researchers Discover Evidence Indicating Ancient Crocodiles Fed on Flying Reptiles in Alberta

Models of giant predatory reptiles know as pterosaurs hang outside the Royal Festival Hall on June 21, 2010 in London, England. Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images

Researchers say they’ve uncovered evidence of a crocodile-like creature attacking a young flying reptile about 76 million years ago in southern Alberta.

In a study published on Jan. 23 in the Journal of Paleontology, researchers discuss a fossil uncovered in southern Alberta with a bite mark on it.

Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology’s Caleb Brown, who led the study and authoring of the article, says the fossil belonged to a flying reptile called pterosaur.

Fossils of these flying reptiles are rare in many areas, including Alberta. The bones of the animal are very thin and delicate, and are not known to fossilize easily.

The recently discovered fossil was an elongated neck bone of a juvenile Pterosaur that researchers say is 2-1/4 inches (58 mm) long. It was found in Dinosaur Provincial Park in the southern part of the province. The outer wall of the bone has the thickness of a credit card.

Researchers say that a hole in the fossil is evidence of a bite from another creature.

When seen under a microscope and with micro-CT scans, the puncture is 4 millimetres wide or a sixth of an inch.

Based on the size and shape of the hole, researchers have narrowed down the attacker to a crocodile-like creature.

“Most crocodilians feed at the surface of the water and are ambush predators, and many pterosaur species are thought to be tied to the water as well. Given this, if it was predation, it likely happened as an ambush at the water surface,” said Brown.

Crocodiles in this area could grow to be about 3.5 metres or 12 feet in length.

Pterosaurs’ scientific name means “cold dragon of the north wind.” It is a reference to Alberta’s current climate. They had wingspans about 10 metres or 33 feet. Fully grown, they could be as tall as a giraffe.

However, researchers say the young victim’s wingspan was about 2 metres or 7 feet.

Brown was joined by professors Phil Bell (University of New England) and Brian Pickles (University of Reading), as well as University of Reading student Holly Owers in documenting the fossil.

They say at the time the bird-like reptile was bit, the area was a lush coastal plain. They also note that for a young pterosaur, there were multiple predators.

“There is no sign of healing, so the wound either happened at the time of death during an attack or after the animal was already dead,” said ecologist and study co-author Pickles.

Reuters contributed to this article.