The skeleton of the prehistoric crocodile Purussaurus mirandai, which weighed up to three tons and was as long as a bus - about 10 meters, was discovered by an international team of paleontologists during excavations in Venezuela.
Giants of this species lived 6 million years ago and were one of the largest representatives of the crocodile species. It should be noted that the remains of larger representatives of the Puruszavr — the extinct caiman, which included three species and inhabited the territory of modern South America, were previously found. However, in general, only fragments were found, in particular, a skull 1.4 meters long. According to experts, the largest specimens could grow more than 15 meters in length and weigh over 14 tons. However, for the first time, thanks to the unique skeleton preservation, science was able to explain how these huge carcasses moved.
The team found that it had an extra vertebra in its sacrum, a bone at the base of the spine.
They also found it had reoriented its shoulder to align it with the action of gravity.
It is these features in the skeleton of the purusaurus that were not found in any of the modern representatives of the species that allowed it to move freely both in water and on land, experts say.
The study is published in the eLife journal.
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