All articles tagged with #crocodilians
A scientifically accurate, full-scale replica of Deinosuchus schwimmeri – a 31-foot predator that hunted dinosaurs – has been crafted using high-resolution fossil scans and is now on display at the Tellus Science Museum in Georgia, highlighting Schwimmer’s research and providing visitors with a vivid glimpse into Late Cretaceous ecosystems.
A fossilized leg of the largest known 'terror bird,' a massive flightless predator, was discovered in Colombia, revealing it was likely killed by a giant caiman 12 million years ago. This finding, published in Papers in Palaeontology, marks the first Phorusrhacid specimen found in Colombia, suggesting these birds also thrived in tropical environments. The study used 3D scans to identify puncture wounds from the caiman's teeth, providing insights into the Miocene epoch's ecology in the La Venta area, which was rich in diverse species.
New research from Lund University suggests that visual perspective-taking, a cognitive ability that humans learn around age two, may have originated in dinosaurs 60 million years earlier than previously thought. The study compared the cognitive abilities of birds and crocodilians, the closest living relatives of dinosaurs, and found that birds demonstrated visual perspective-taking, while alligators did not. The researchers suggest that if visual perspective-taking emerged earlier in dinosaurs, it might explain the advanced visual capabilities of birds.