Christopher Noto

Christopher Noto, Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences, will publish the article "Feeding traces and paleobiology of a Cretaceous (Cenomanian) crocodyliform: Example from the Woodbine Formation of Texas" this month in the journal "Palaios." The paper details the discovery of a diverse fossil assemblage from the Cretaceous Period at the Arlington Archosaur Site in north Texas. Located within the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, this unique locality preserves the remains of a coastal swamp environment including fish, turtles, crocodiles, mammals, and dinosaurs. Many of the fossils discovered thus far represent new species. A detailed analysis of the fossils shows evidence of bite marks on turtle and dinosaur bones, which can be directly attributed to the crocodilian, indicating that this giant crocodilian consumed these animals and was likely a top predator in this ecosystem. Noto called this a "very rare glimpse into direct evidence of feeding behavior by an extinct animal." He conducted the research with Derek Main (University of Texas-Arlington) and Stephanie Drumheller (University of Iowa).

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Story Status: Archived
Publish date: 2/9/2012

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