Anonymous22 days ago
A University of Iowa-led research team has formally described Crocodylus lucivenator, a new extinct crocodile species that lived alongside and likely preyed upon Australopithecus afarensis — the hominin species represented by the famous fossil "Lucy" — in Ethiopia between 3.4 and 3 million years ago. The 12-to-15-foot apex predator, identified from 121 fossil specimens excavated from the Hadar Formation, adds to a growing body of evidence that ancient crocodiles were among the most significant threats faced by early human ancestors across Africa.