A research paper published on Wednesday details the gruesome discovery of a murdered sea cow that may have met a most tragic fate.
Research suggests the giant sea creature was killed by an ancient crocodile and then eaten by a tiger shark. Published The study, published in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, found that the fossilized sea cow's snout had deep bite marks, leading the researchers to speculate that the crocodile may have tried to suffocate the animal or ate its face, as chimpanzees do to humans. (Watch HBO's “Chimp Crazy.”)
Other large tracks on the sea cow appear to be evidence of the crocodile attempting to drag the sea cow into deep waters for a “death roll,” much like modern crocodiles do.
Ancient sea cow killed by prehistoric crocodile, then torn apart by tiger shark https://t.co/sWyCzbt6IZ
— Live Science (@LiveScience) August 29, 2024
As if things couldn't get any worse for the giant monster, a tiger shark tooth was found in the sea cow's neck, and the skeleton also had multiple sawshark bite marks, suggesting that other monsters had eaten the creature's flesh as it died. (Related article: “Unbelievable!” Scientists capture video of shark “walking”)
The fossilized sea cow was discovered near the city of Coro in northern Venezuela and is thought to date to the Early to Middle Miocene, around 23 million to 11.6 million years ago. “Our find is one of the few records of multiple predators on a single prey and gives us a glimpse into the food web networks of the region during the Miocene,” said lead author Aldo Benitez Palomino. said Live Science.
The findings suggest that the ocean's food web has remained largely unchanged for millions of years, which is oddly comforting given the rapid changes most people must undergo in their short lives.
