A Rare Sea Cow Fossil Was Unearthed In Venezuela, And It Was Likely Killed By An Ancient Crocodile, Then Eaten By A Tiger Shark

PhotoSpirit - stock.adobe.com - illustrative purposes only
PhotoSpirit - stock.adobe.com - illustrative purposes only

The fossilized remains of a prehistoric sea cow were unearthed in northern Venezuela. The unfortunate creature was likely killed by an ancient crocodile and then eaten by a tiger shark.

It is a rare example of one animal being targeted by two different predators during the Early to Middle Miocene Epoch, which occurred 23 million to 11.6 million years ago.

Fossils can usually show evidence of an animal that was eaten by another, but it’s difficult to determine the difference between scavenging and active predation.

The newly discovered skeleton provides insights into the complex food chain network in the region millions of years ago.

The extinct sea cow was from the genus Culebratherium. There were deep teeth marks on its snout, suggesting that a crocodile grabbed its victim by the face in an attempt to suffocate it.

Afterward, the ancient crocodile dragged its prey away and spun the prey’s body to rip it apart, as evidenced by other cuts and gashes on the sea cow. This hunting strategy is still used by crocodiles today and is known as a “death roll.”

Additionally, experts found a tooth from a tiger shark (Galeocerdo cuvier) between the sea cow’s neck and rib cage, as well as shark bite marks across its skeleton.

Modern tiger sharks are notorious for being lazy hunters who merely scavenge for food, and the same could be said for the ones that existed millions of years ago.

The sea cow’s skeleton included its skull and 18 vertebrae. It was discovered in outcrops of the Agua Clara Formation located near the city of Coro.

PhotoSpirit – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only

“We first learned about the site through word of mouth from a local farmer who had noticed some unusual ‘rocks.’ Intrigued, we decided to investigate,” said Marcelo Sanchez-Villagra, the director at the Paleontological Institute and Museum in Zurich.

The excavation process was a rather complex undertaking. The paleontologists prepared for the dig for several months.

It took five people around seven hours to remove the skeleton. The remains were embedded in fine sediments, allowing for excellent preservation.

After the remains were safely collected, the researchers analyzed the depth, shape and directions of the slash marks that were visible on the fossils.

The puncture wounds created by the crocodile consisted of an almost semi-circular outline and wider curved incisions.

The other bite marks were long, narrow slits featuring V-shaped cross sections, typical of a shark bite. The discovery of the tooth confirmed the attacker had been a tiger shark.

Overall, the findings suggest that the food chain of today has remained similar to how it functioned in the past, with the body of a dead animal providing food for predators.

The details of the study were published in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology.

Sign up for Chip Chick’s newsletter and get stories like this delivered to your inbox.

Emily  Chan is a writer who covers lifestyle and news content. She graduated from Michigan State University with a ... More about Emily Chan

More About: