Primii aligatori ar fi trăit imediat după asteroidul care a dus la dispariția dinozaurilor. Ce arată o nouă descoperire despre specia din Paleocen

Paleontologists have discovered a new extinct alligatorid species named Mandrasuchus milleri, which lived in Colorado shortly after the dinosaurs' extinction. This species, the oldest confirmed member of Alligatorinae, thrived in the early Paleocene, around 200,000 to 350,000 years post-Cretaceous mass extinction. Fossils indicate it was a small predator, about 1.5 meters long, with a generalist diet. It coexisted with larger crocodilians, suggesting resource sharing rather than competition. The findings highlight the resilience of freshwater ecosystems during a time of significant ecological upheaval.