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03-28-2021, 10:46 PM( This post was last modified: 04-26-2021, 10:36 PM by DinoFan83 )
Purussaurus brasiliensis is an extinct species of giant caiman that lived in South America during the Miocene epoch, 20.4 to 5.3 million years ago. It is known from skull material found in the Brazilian and Peruvian Amazon, Colombian Villavieja Formation, Panamanian Culebra Formation and the Urumaco and Socorro Formations of northern Venezuela.
The largest specimen is a partial mandible (DGM 527-R) is estimated at 175 cm when complete. Based on a modern-day relative (the American alligator), Purussaurus has been estimated at 10-11 meters in length and 7000-8000 kg, similar to modern elephants in size and among the largest crocodilians ever. However, as only skulls have been found this is not entirely certain.
The largest known Purussaurus specimens probably had a bite force of 93830 newtons (9570 kg), giving the animal a very powerful bite for its size and among the strongest bites in the animal kingdom, even stronger than modern estimates for the bite force of Tyrannosaurus rex.
The teeth, although designed for executing a high bite force over cutting flesh, have small ridges along two of the edges which resemble those in ziphodonts. This indicates that Purussaurus hunted large vertebrates, as these ridges are used for puncturing and holding on to flesh. They are slightly flattened at the top and are roughly conical, which means that they would have been unlikely to break on impact with a thick bone.
The large size and estimated strength of this animal appears to have allowed it to include a wide range of prey in its diet, making it an apex predator in its ecosystem. As an adult, it would have preyed upon large to very large vertebrates such as the xenarthrans and notoungulates present, with no real competition from sympatric, smaller, carnivores.
Researchers have proposed that the large size of Purussaurus, though offering many advantages, may also have led to its vulnerability. The constantly changing environment on a large geological scale may have reduced its long-term survival, favoring smaller species more resilient to ecological shifts. In other words, it was over-specialised and couldn't survive when its habitat changed, unlike smaller related species of caiman.
