A fossilized neck bone of a flying reptile discovered in Canada shows distinct signs of having been bitten by a crocodile-like creature approximately 76 million years ago, according to a new study published on January 23 in The Journal of Palaeontology.
The juvenile pterosaur vertebra, found at Dinosaur Provincial Park in Alberta, features a circular puncture mark about four millimeters in diameter, likely caused by a crocodilian tooth.
Researchers from the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology (Canada), the University of Reading (UK), and the University of New England (Australia) suggest that this rare finding provides a glimpse into predator-prey interactions in the Cretaceous period.
The discovery occurred during an international field course led by Dr. Brian Pickles from the University of Reading in July 2023.
Dr. Caleb Brown, a researcher at the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology, is the lead author of the study. He commented, “Pterosaur bones are fragile, making it extremely rare to find fossils showing clear signs of being bitten by another animal. The fact that this specimen is a juvenile adds to the rarity of the find.”
Dinosaur Provincial Park is known for yielding some of the most significant dinosaur fossil discoveries in history.
The punctured vertebra belongs to a young Azhdarchid pterosaur (Cryodrakon boreas), which would have had an estimated wingspan of around two meters. Adult members of the species could reach heights comparable to a giraffe, with wingspans stretching up to 10 meters.
To confirm that the puncture was a bite, the researchers employed micro-CT scans and compared the fossil with other pterosaur bones. They concluded that the injury was not caused by damage during fossilization or excavation but was indeed a result of a bite.
Dr. Brian Pickles, co-author of the study, explained, “Bite marks offer valuable evidence of species interactions from this era. While we cannot determine whether the pterosaur was alive or dead when bitten, this fossil indicates that crocodilians may have occasionally preyed on or scavenged juvenile pterosaurs in prehistoric Alberta over 70 million years ago.”
The study also documents the first known evidence in North America of ancient crocodilians feeding opportunistically on these massive flying reptiles. Similar findings of possible crocodilian bite marks on Azhdarchid bones have previously been discovered in Romania.
