Prehistoric showdown: Crocodile vs. pterosaur revealed

According to the BBC, the discovery occurred in July 2023 and offers new insights into the life of pterosaurs from millions of years ago. Found in Alberta, the fossilized cervical vertebra of a pterosaur displays distinct bite marks from an ancient crocodile. This finding has been detailed in the "Journal of Paleontology."

Pterosaur bones are very delicate — so finding fossils where another animal has clearly taken a bite is exceptionally uncommon. This specimen being a juvenile makes it even more rare, notes Caleb Brown, the lead author of the study from the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology.

The cervical vertebra belonged to a Cryodrakon boreas, a pterosaur species. Young members of this species had a wingspan of about seven feet, while adults could reach a wingspan of up to 33 feet, comparable in size to a giraffe.

Cryodrakon boreas was among the largest flying creatures in Earth's history, living during the same era as dinosaurs and dominating the sky.

Researchers used CT scanning to examine the fossil, confirming that the marks were indeed bite marks rather than damage from fossilization or excavation. They suspect the attacker was a Leidyosuchus canadensis, a species of crocodile. It's possible that the crocodile hunted Cryodrakon boreas while it was alive or scavenged its remains post-mortem.

As reported by "The Jerusalem Post," similar findings have been made in Romania, where pterosaur fossils of the Azhdarchidae family also exhibit comparable bite marks. These findings suggest that interactions between crocodiles and pterosaurs may have been more common than previously assumed, despite their rarity in documentation. This discovery adds to the evidence of the complex ecosystems from millions of years ago and the interactions between different species.