GabyA nearly complete skeleton of a gavial crocodile has been discovered by a team from the Geological, Mining, and Metallurgical Institute of Peru and La Unión College in the Ocucaje Desert. Located 350 kilometers from Peru’s capital, Lima, this area is renowned for its wealth of marine fossils. The remains of the gavial date back 10 to 12 million years. This fossilized crocodile is the youngest known specimen of the extinct genus Piscogavialis and its only species, Piscogavialis jugaliperforatus, found in the region. The length of the fossilized young fish-eating crocodile reaches three meters, as reported by IFLScience.
“This is the first time we have discovered a young individual of this species, meaning it had not yet reached its maximum size at the time of death,” noted vertebrate paleontologist Mario Gamarra. According to experts, adult Piscogavialis crocodiles could grow up to 9 meters long. Gamarra explained that these crocodiles had elongated, narrow snouts and their diet consisted exclusively of fish. The closest living relative of this creature is likely the Indian gharial, which also has an exceptionally long and slender snout.
The Ocucaje Desert is known for yielding numerous fossils over the years. As of 2023, at least 55 previously unknown species of marine vertebrates have been discovered in this area. During earlier excavations, paleontologists uncovered remains of ancient whales, dolphins, sharks, and other species that inhabited the Earth during the Miocene epoch, approximately 23 to 5 million years ago. Last year, scientists stumbled upon perhaps the most astonishing extinct resident of the region: the massive whale Perucetus colossus, resembling a manatee. With a maximum length of 17 to 20 meters, it could weigh between 85 and 340 tons, making it the heaviest animal known to have ever lived on our planet. The recently found remains of the gavial crocodile represent yet another remarkable discovery made in this unique environment, which was once an ocean.
