{"id":2049,"date":"2026-03-12T05:52:10","date_gmt":"2026-03-12T05:52:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/owspakistan.com\/?p=2049"},"modified":"2026-03-12T05:52:10","modified_gmt":"2026-03-12T05:52:10","slug":"crocodile-ate-prehistoric-humans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/owspakistan.com\/?p=2049","title":{"rendered":"An odd-nosed crocodile ate our prehistoric ancestors"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Humans have contended with crocodiles for a really<\/em> long time. The recent discovery of an ancient crocodilian species<\/a> sporting a strange snout indicates the reptiles may have even preyed on our earliest known hominin ancestor.<\/p>\n

The species detailed in a study published today in the Journal of Systematic Palaeontology<\/em><\/a> even likely went after anthropology\u2019s most famous historical hominid\u2014Australopithecus afarensis<\/em>, better known as\u00a0 Lucy.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Today\u2019s crocodiles\u2014and the danger they pose\u2014remain virtually unchanged since they first evolved on Earth<\/a> over 200 million years ago. The newly described species Crocodylus lucivenator<\/em> existed 3.4 to 3 million years ago in present-day Ethiopia, and looked similar to the American crocodile (Crocodylus acutus<\/em>). While largely arid today, the region during C. lucivenator<\/em>\u2019s era was covered with shrubs and wetlands broken up by multiple rivers.<\/p>\n

In 2016, researchers began to suspect the existence of a previously unknown croc species while examining archival remains from dozens of specimens at a museum in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia\u2019s capital city. It\u2019s clear that C. lucivenator<\/em> was a sizable foe. Judging from the specimens, paleontologists estimate it grew up to 15 feet long while weighing as much as 1,300 pounds.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was the largest predator in that ecosystem, more so than lions and hyenas,\u201d University of Iowa environmental scientist and study co-author Christopher Brochu said in a statement<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Apart from the apex predator\u2019s size, C. lucivenator<\/em> also <\/em>showcased some unique physical traits.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was just blown away because it had this really weird combination of character states,\u201d said Brochu.<\/p>\n

The most noticeable feature was a large hump located in the middle of its snout. While a similar bony growth can be seen on present-day American crocodiles, they aren\u2019t apparent on Africa\u2019s Nile crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus<\/em>).C. lucivenator<\/em>\u2019s distinctive snout likely functioned the same way, too.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou see this in some modern crocodiles,\u201d added Brochu. \u201cThe male will lower his head down a little bit to a female to show it off.\u201d<\/p>\n

The ancient reptiles weren\u2019t afraid of one another, either. One specimen examined by Brochu\u2019s team displayed multiple, partially healed jaw injuries indicative of a brawl with a fellow ambush predator.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis kind of face-biting behavior can be found throughout the crocodile family tree,\u201d explained University of Tennessee paleontologist and study co-author Stephanie Drumheller. \u201cWe can\u2019t know which combatant came out on top of that fight, but the healing tells us that, winner or loser, this animal survived the encounter.\u201d<\/p>\n

Other animals weren\u2019t so lucky\u2014especially anything C. lucivenator<\/em> eyed for its next meal. And this is where it gets particularly fascinating. At least three other crocodile species roamed an area to the south known as the Eastern Rift Valley.But C. lucivenator<\/em> was the only creature of its kind in Hadar, a site in Ethiopia\u2019s Afar region. Hadar is most famous for being home to the bones of humanity\u2019s earliest known ancestor, A.afarensis<\/em><\/a>. The hominid species is often exemplified by a remarkably complete specimen discovered in 1974. Affectionately known as Lucy<\/a>, she likely had to watch her back whenever she neared a river.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was the largest predator in that ecosystem\u2026and the biggest threat to our ancestors who lived there during that time,\u201d said Brochu.<\/p>\n

There is currently no direct fossil evidence of A. afarensis<\/em> falling victim to an attack by C. lucivenator<\/em>, but their overlapping timelines mean such scenarios were all-but-inevitable. In fact, the study\u2019s authors are so confident that it\u2019s illustrated in the crocodile\u2019s name: Crocodylus lucivenator<\/em> translates to \u201cLucy\u2019s Hunter.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a near certainty this crocodile would have hunted Lucy\u2019s species,\u201d said Brochu. \u201cWhether a particular crocodile tried to grab Lucy, we\u2019ll never know, but it would have seen Lucy\u2019s kind and thought, \u2018Dinner.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

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