A remarkable fossil find in Australia's Outback offers a rare glimpse into a complex prehistoric food chain, depicting a flying pterosaur consumed by a marine reptile, which was subsequently devoured by an even larger predator. The discovery, detailed in the journal Gondwana Research, is described as one of the clearest examples of a three-tier predator interaction ever found.
The fossilized remains, known as the "Bag Of Bones," were unearthed in 2019 by fossil hunters near Richmond, in a region that was once the Eromanga Sea approximately 100 million years ago. The "Bag Of Bones" were meticulously organized by Kevin Petersen, curator at the Kronosaurus Korner fossil museum, into a nearly complete ichthyosaur specimen measuring about 23 feet long.
CT scans of the ichthyosaur revealed the presence of a pterosaur jaw within its stomach, indicating that the marine reptile had preyed upon the flying dinosaur. This marks the first documented instance of such a predator-prey relationship between these two types of prehistoric creatures.
Further examination of the ichthyosaur's skeleton revealed significant damage, including split vertebrae, missing ribs, and bite marks consistent with a much larger predator. Paleontologists believe the injuries were inflicted by a Kronosaurus queenslandicus, a formidable pliosaur that roamed the Eromanga Sea.
The Kronosaurus, named after a Greek Titan, is estimated to have been over 40 feet long and weighed between 11 to 13 tons. With a bite force of up to 6,070 pounds, it was capable of overpowering even large marine reptiles like the ichthyosaur.
This unique fossil assemblage provides valuable insights into the complex ecosystem and the dynamics of life and death in the ancient Eromanga Sea during the Cretaceous period.