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Purussaurus
''Purussaurus'' is an extinct genus of giant caiman that lived in South America during the Miocene epoch, 8 million years ago. It is known from skull material found in the Brazilian, Colombian and Peruvian Amazonia, and northern Venezuela.
==Description==
The estimated skull length for one large individual of the type species ''P. brasiliensis'' is . Paleontologists estimate that ''P. brasiliensis'' reached around in length, weighing around , with a mean daily food intake of . Bite force has been estimated to be around 69,000 N (around 7 metric tons-force).〔 Another estimate gives a smaller size of in length and in weight.〔("Size and Palaeoecology of Giant Miocene South American Crocodiles (Archosauria: Crocodylia)" )〕 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 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.〔
''Purussaurus'' is one of the largest known crocodyliformes ever to have existed. Three other extinct crocodyliformes, ''Sarcosuchus'', ''Deinosuchus'', and ''Rhamphosuchus'' had similar body sizes. ''Sarcosuchus'' and ''Deinosuchus'' had similar proportions, but both were geologically much older, dating from the Early and Late Cretaceous, respectively. ''Rhamphosuchus'' lived around the same time as ''Purussaurus'', but was slightly smaller, had a more gharial-like snout and lived in India. During the summer of 2005, a Franco-Peruvian expedition (the Fitzcarrald expedition) found new fossils of ''Purussaurus'' in the Peruvian Amazon (600 km from Lima).
Analysis of a biomechanical model of the skull of ''Purussaurus'' indicated that it was capable of performing the "death roll" maneuver used by extant crocodilians to subdue and dismember their prey.
抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』
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