Named\u00a0Kostensuchus atrox, the apex predator<\/a> lived around 70 million years ago and probably preyed on dinosaurs, according to new research published in\u00a0PLOS One<\/a>.<\/p>\n Kostensuchus atrox: a fierce predator<\/p>\n With an estimated length of 3.5 metres and a weight of 250 kilograms,\u00a0K. atrox\u00a0was of impressive stature, and the animal had wide jaws and sharp teeth capable of tackling large prey. Researchers think it was ‘hypercarnivore’ \u2013\u00a0an animal whose diet is made up of more than 70% meat \u2013 that ate medium-sized dinosaurs.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThis is the first crocodyliform fossil from the Chorrillo Formation, and one of the most intact peirosaurids ever found,\u201d says lead author of the study Fernando Novas from Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales.<\/p>\n The discovery also provides new clues about ancient Patagonian environments, which were warm and seasonally humid, home to dinosaurs, turtles, frogs and mammals. “Our study shows this species was the second-largest predator in the Chorrillo Formation,\u201d says Novas, who believes\u00a0K. atrox\u00a0was among the most dominant predators in the area.<\/p>\n The name Kostensuchus atrox includes both local and cultural references:\u00a0Kosten\u00a0comes from the Tehuelche word for the fierce Patagonian wind, while\u00a0Souchos\u00a0is the Egyptian crocodile-headed god. The Latin\u00a0atrox\u00a0means ‘harsh’ or ‘fierce’.<\/p>\n![\"Kostensuchus](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Kostensuchus-atrox-skeleton-on-display-scaled.jpeg\")
Kostensuchus atrox skeleton (reconstructed 3D print and painted). Credit: Jos\u00e9 Brusco | CC-BY 4.0, creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/<\/p>\n![\"Kostensuchus](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Kostensuchus-atrox.jpg\")
Kostensuchus atrox measured up to 3 metres long and weighed as much as 250 kilograms. Credit: Gabriel Diaz Yanten | CC-BY 4.0, creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/<\/p>\n