Giant crocodile species from Lucy’s era identified by researchers
7 reported
A University of Iowa-led research team has identified a new crocodile species that lived in Ethiopia between 3.4 million and 3 million years ago, during the same period as the early human ancestor Lucy. The species, named Crocodylus lucivenator or "Lucy's hunter," was likely the largest predator in the Hadar ecosystem, according to a study published in the Journal of Systematic Palaeontology. Researchers analyzed 121 fossil remains from the Hadar Formation and described the crocodile as measuring 12 to 15 feet long and weighing 600 to 1,300 pounds. The crocodile had a distinctive hump on its snout, similar to American crocodiles, which may have been used in courtship displays. Study co-author Christopher Brochu stated that it is a near certainty this crocodile would have hunted Lucy's species, Australopithecus afarensis. The fossils were recovered from the Hadar region in Ethiopia, a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1980.
What’s reported
The crocodile species is named Crocodylus lucivenator, meaning "Lucy's hunter."
It lived between 3.4 million and 3 million years ago in what is now Ethiopia.
The crocodile measured roughly 12 to 15 feet long and weighed between 600 and 1,300 pounds.
It was the only crocodile known from the Hadar landscape.
Researchers analyzed 121 cataloged fossil remains, including skulls, teeth, and jaw fragments.
The study was published in the Journal of Systematic Palaeontology.
Funding came from the U.S. National Science Foundation, the Leakey Foundation, and other sources.
Key figures
Christopher Brochu, professor in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Iowa and study corresponding author
Stephanie Drumheller, teaching associate professor at the University of Tennessee
Christopher Campisano, associate professor at Arizona State University and study co-author
Nathan Platt and Daniel Leaphart from the University of Iowa
Getahun Tekle and Tomas Getachew of the National Museum of Ethiopia
Jason Head of the University of Cambridge
Sources: ScienceDaily
