Paleontologists discover massive Triassic predators in Argentina and Poland

Paleontologists have announced significant fossil discoveries from the Triassic period in Argentina and Poland, revealing massive predators that inhabited the Earth millions of years ago.

In Argentina, researchers from CONICET identified a new species of prehistoric crocodile named Shakajlura riojanensis. Found in the Chañares Formation in La Rioja, this predator measured nearly six meters in length. Described as an apex predator of the Triassic, it featured blade-like serrated teeth. The discovery provides insight into how ecosystems recovered following the Great Permian Extinction.

In Poland, a massive specimen of Mastodonsaurus, a giant predatory amphibian, has been uncovered. Measuring approximately six meters in length and weighing roughly 1,300 kilograms, this individual is significantly larger than previously known specimens, which typically range between two and three meters. A large team of experts and volunteers at the Copernicus Science Centre in Warsaw is currently working to reconstruct the skeleton from the remains found in southern Poland in 2023.