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Scientists have reveal the fossilized remains of a prehistorical ocean cow that was in all likelihood pour down by an ancient crocodile then eaten by a tiger shark .
The skeleton , which was find out in northern Venezuela , is a rare example of one brute being preyed upon by two unlike predators during the other to Middle Miocene epoch ( 23 million to 11.6 million years ago ) . Although fossils can show if an fauna has been eaten by another , it ’s often hard to tell the remainder between fighting depredation and scavenging .
Artist impression of the prehistoric crocodile attacking the sea cow, while a tiger shark waits in the background.
" Our findings constitute one of the few records document multiple predators over a individual quarry , and as such provide a glance of solid food chain networks in this area during the Miocene , " lead - authorAldo Benites - Palomino , a researcher from the Department of Paleontology at the University of Zurich , said in a command .
consort to the discipline , bring out Thursday ( Aug. 29 ) in theJournal of Vertebrate Paleontology , the sea moo-cow ( from the genusCulebratherium ) had conspicuous mystifying tooth impacts on its snout , which suggest the crocodile ’s first line of attempt was grabbing its victim by the face and test to stifle it . Other gashes and incisions show the croc then dragged its quarry and performed a death roll to kill it , much like a modernistic crocodile .
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The experts also found a Panthera tigris shark ( Galeocerdo cuvier ) tooth in the sea moo-cow ’s neck and see shark morsel mark across its skeletal frame . Often known as the " dustbins of the sea , " tiger shark today are eff as lazy hunter and oftenscavengefor food , and it seems this was also true millions of year ago .
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The fossil skeleton — which included part of the sea cow ’s skull and 18 vertebrae — was discovered in outcrops of the former to Middle Miocene Agua Clara Formation near the urban center of Coro .
" We first learned about the web site through word of mouth from a local farmer who had observe some strange ' rocks . ' Intrigued , we determine to investigate,“Marcelo Sanchez - Villagra , director at the Palaeontological Institute and Museum at Zurich , said in the instruction .
The paleontologists set up for several months , and it took five masses seven hours to take away the skeleton , which was excellently preserved because it was buried in fine deposit .
Once the remains were collect , the squad studied the soma , depth , and ( where possible ) slashing orientation of the bite marks they could see on the fossils . The crocodilian made puncture wounds with an almost semi - circular scheme as well as wider curved incision as the victim was drag in a death roll . The other bite marks had tenacious , narrow slits with atomic number 23 - shaped cross sections , which is typical of a shark bite . The discovery of a tooth between the neck and rib batting cage confirmed the magpie was a tiger shark .
These findings intimate that the food range today remains like to how it crop millions of years ago , with the carcass of a all in animal providing food for others .
" Today , often when we observe a predatory animal in the wild , we receive the carcase of quarry which demonstrates its function as a food origin for other animals too ; but fogey records of this are rarer , " Benites - Palomino said .
