Paleontologists in Argentina have uncovered a new species of megaraptor, a large carnivorous dinosaur. The discovery of a leg bone in its mouth suggests that this apex predator, named Joaquinraptor casali, may have had a crocodile for its last meal.
As their name suggests, megaraptors were giant, fearsome carnivores, similar to the raptors made famous in Jurassic Park. Researchers estimate that this new species was over 23 feet long and weighed more than 2,200 pounds.
While the discovery of the leg bone in the megaraptor's mouth doesn't definitively prove it was eating the crocodile when it died, the evidence is compelling. The bone was found touching the dinosaur's teeth and even had tooth marks on it. It's possible the two creatures were fighting over other food sources, but some form of interaction seems likely.
In the northern parts of the world, huge tyrannosaurs dominated, but they were absent in the south. This allowed megaraptors to evolve and become the top predators in what is now South America and Australia. The Joaquinraptor remains were dated to around 68 million years ago, making it one of the youngest known megaraptors. This suggests they reigned as apex predators until the extinction event that wiped out the dinosaurs.
