Giant Prehistoric Crocodiles Hunted Large Mammals in Colombia 12 Million Years Ago

Paleontologists have uncovered the first direct physical evidence that giant prehistoric crocodiles hunted large herbivorous mammals in what is now Colombia approximately 12 million years ago.

“There was so much prey that no mammalian predator could eat it all,” said Dr. Oscar Wilson, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Helsinki.

“Our new research shows that crocodiles were among the region’s most important predators, particularly when hunting large prey.”

Dr. Wilson and colleagues from Colombia, France, Argentina, Canada and the United States examined four fossilized bones from three species of large ungulates that lived in the La Venta region of Colombia’s Huila Department during the Miocene epoch.

The fossils belonged to Pericotoxodon platignathus, a rhinoceros-sized relative of ancient South American ungulates, as well as two elephant-like herbivores: Xenastrapotherium kraglievichi and Granastrapotherium snorki.

Researchers estimate that these mammals weighed between approximately 600 and 1,800 kilograms.

All four specimens—including a skull, a leg bone and two jaw bones—bear distinctive circular and split puncture wounds, along with areas of shattered bone. The pattern of damage is consistent with bites from giant crocodilians.

The most likely predator was Purussaurus, an extinct giant caiman that grew more than 6 meters (20 feet) long and weighed up to approximately 1,800 kilograms. It was one of the largest crocodilians known to have existed.

Some of the tooth forces required to produce the punctures approached or exceeded 40,000 newtons, broadly matching previous estimates of Purussaurus’ tremendous bite force.

One jaw bone attributed to Xenastrapotherium also contained a second type of damage. Researchers identified a series of parallel grooves that they believe were made by Langstonia huilensis, a smaller, land-dwelling crocodilian relative.

These marks likely represent a separate scavenging event rather than the initial fatal attack.

Most of the bite marks are concentrated around the animals’ heads and jaws. This distribution resembles the hunting behavior of modern crocodilians, including saltwater and Nile crocodiles, which often ambush large prey and target the head or limbs during an attack.

The discovery supports earlier research suggesting that giant crocodilians and other reptiles occupied ecological roles in ancient South America that are filled by lions, wolves and bears in many modern ecosystems.

Purussaurus and other large predators may therefore have helped regulate herbivore populations in Miocene wetlands, making them important components of tropical South American ecosystems.

“The frequency of marks probably made by Purussaurus suggests that these animals were important predators in these tropical ecosystems,” Dr. Wilson said.

The study was published this month in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology.

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Oscar E. Wilson et al. Physical evidence of crocodile predation on ungulates in the mid-Miocene of Colombia. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, published online August 16, 2026. doi: 10.1080/02724634.2026.2701154