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Fossils of ancient predatory reptile named as new relative of crocodiles
A new species of 237-million-year-old reptile has been uncovered in Brazil.
Parvosuchus aurelioi was part of a group of crocodile relatives known as the pseudosuchians, which dominated the Earth’s ecosystems before the rise of the dinosaurs.
The skull of an ancient animal has revealed the face of one of South America’s ancient predators.
Named Parvosuchus aurelioi, the metre-long reptile would have been one of the smallest carnivores in its ecosystem. While bigger relatives would have tackled large herbivores like the dicynodonts, Parvosuchus’ sharp, blade-like teeth meant it probably ate small prey and scavenged.
Dr Rodrigo Müller, who named the new species, says that the existence of predators of many different sizes in the same location shows that Brazil’s Triassic ecosystems were “very complex.”
“Although early pseudosuchians received far less attention than dinosaurs in the pop culture, these reptiles evolved a vast spectrum of forms before the rise of dinosaurs,” Rodrigo says.
“As Parvosuchus lived in environment dominated by much larger predators, like the seven-metre-long Prestosuchus chiniquensis, we can imagine that it had to be a stealthy animal to hunt prey while avoiding predators larger than itself.”
“It’s an incredible fossil which shows that there are many secrets of Brazilian palaeontology still to be revealed.”
The findings of the study were published in the journal Scientific Reports.
The fossils of Parvosuchus aurelioi were donated to the Universidade Federal de Santa Maria where they were prepared, revealing a well-preserved skull. Image © Janaína Brand Dillmann.
What are the pseudosuchians?
The Mesozoic Era (252 to 66 million years ago) was dominated by the archosaurs. This group includes the living birds and crocodiles, but also the extinct dinosaurs, pterosaurs and marine reptiles.
The part of the group more closely related to the crocodiles are also known as the pseudosuchians. Following the end-Permian extinction event, which wiped out most life on Earth, these animals were left in prime position to rise to the top of Earth’s ecosystems.
Unlike modern crocodiles which walk with their legs splayed out to the side, these animals probably walked upright with their legs directly under them. This would have allowed pseudosuchians to move more efficiently on land and chase any prey which crossed their path.
Combined with their tolerance for warm and dry conditions, pseudosuchians flourished during the Early Triassic and diversified into many different species.
The remains of Parvosuchus were found in rocks dated to around 15 million years after this extinction event. By this point, pseudosuchians had spread all over the world with lifestyles ranging from the heavily armoured aetosaurs to apex predators like Mambawakale ruhuhu.
Analysis of the fossils of Parvosuchus aurelioi suggests it it closely related to two Argentinian reptiles, Gracilisuchus stipanicicorum and Maehary bonapartei. Image © Rodrigo Temp Müller.
Uncovering Parvosuchus
As part of ongoing work to understand the life of these prehistoric South American animals, Rodrigo was preparing a potentially promising specimen donated by palaeontology enthusiast Pedro Lucas Porcela Aurélio.
“At first, only some portions of the vertebrae were visible from the specimen,” Rodrigo recalls. “As I started the preparation process, using pneumatic hammers and acid solutions to peel away the thick layer of rock, parts of the cranium appeared.”
“It was stunning. As I slowly removed a layer of rock, part of the orbital rim was exposed. It was as if this animal was looking at me, as if it had been waiting all these endless years to tell its story.”
Once the rocks were fully prepared, they revealed a complete skull, as well as parts of the spine, hips and hind leg. In recognition of the work of Pedro Lucas Porcela Aurélio, the species was named in his honour.
Following a detailed examination of the skeleton, Rodrigo believes that Parvosuchus would have been a small, agile predator that weighed about the same as an average cat. It would have lived on land, and likely had two rows of hardened scales along its back for protection.
Based on its similarities to other fossils, it’s thought to be a type of pseudosuchid known as a gracilisuchid. Parvosuchus is the first confirmed gracilisuchid from Brazil, joining other species known from Brazil and Argentina.
While this is already important, Parvosuchus also offers tantalising clues about its relatives. It builds on previous evidence that a fossil known as Maehary may actually be gracilisuchid, rather than a relative of pterosaurs, and forms a small group of closely related reptiles in South America.
To find more evidence about these suggestions, Rodrigo has already returned to the site where Parvosuchus was discovered. The fossils excavated on this expedition are set to be studied and prepared in the coming years, hopefully revealing more about these ancient predators.
