Scientists have unearthed Australia's oldest known crocodile eggshells which may have belonged to 'drop crocs'—creatures that climbed trees to hunt prey below. The discovery of these 55-million-year-old eggshells was made in a sheep farmer's backyard in Queensland and published in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology.
The eggshells belonged to a long-extinct group of crocodiles known as mekosuchines, who lived in inland waters when Australia was part of Antarctica and South America. Co-author Prof. Michael Archer stated that these 'drop crocs' were a 'bizarre idea' suggesting they might have hunted like leopards, dropping from trees onto unsuspecting prey.
Prof. Archer, a palaeontologist at the University of New South Wales, noted that mekosuchine crocodiles could grow up to five meters and were abundant 55 million years ago, long before modern saltwater and freshwater cousins arrived in Australia. The analysis of these eggshells was facilitated by collaboration with Spanish scientists, revealing a wealth of information about Australia's prehistoric ecosystems.
The findings contribute to previous discoveries of mekosuchine fossils found in 25-million-year-old deposits, adding depth to our understanding of their behavior and habitat. Prof. Archer recalls how he and a colleague sought permission to dig in Murgon, an area recognized for its fossil richness, indicating the potential for future discoveries to unveil more surprises from Australia's ancient landscapes.
