I believe Fire Campaign already posted on this news drop, so credit to him for receiving it first.
A study in the Journal of Paleontology by Caleb Brown et al. described a cervical (neck; very distinctive bones in azhdarchids) vertebrae from a juvenile Cryodrakon with conical puncture marks with an "anteroposterior diameter of 4.4 mm at the external (ventral) surface of the bone and a transverse diameter of 4.3 mm. The depth is 3.7 mm."
[Awesome Cryodrakon by David Maas]
The specimen to which this fossil belongs, TMP 2023.012.0237 was discovered disarticulated at the ‘Cathedral Bonebed’ in Dinosaur Provincial Park, home of the legendary Dinosaur Park Formation. It was the anterior (frontal) ~⅔rds of the vertebrae. Excavation was quite easy (for a fossil, I imagine), they say.
[TMP 2023.012.0237 itself - yes, I memorized it]
WHO DUNNIT?I immediately thought of Leidyosuchus, an awesome alligatorid from the formation. The paleontogists did mention it as well as Albertachampsa, the other crocodilian that lived there, but "given the variation in tooth size and shape with the jaws of these animals, as well as the range of body size exhibited by each species through its ontogeny, it is not possible to distinguish between these taxa from perforative bite marks alone."
[Stem alligatoroids by artbyjrc. Leidyosuchus is below Deinosuchus riograndensis's head]
In the discussion, they brought up the gavial-like choristodere Champsosaurus, but said they "do approach (or meet) the diameter of the tooth mark in TMP 2023.012.0237 [the Cryodrakon], they are more slender and not a match for the depth of the puncture."
[Nix Illustration's Champsosaurus.]
Also mentions were Didelphodon vorax and Eodelphis, metatheres/marsupials from Dinosaur Park. D. vorax's known canines were too large and Eodelphis's aren't known. As they logically said, "a mammalian trace [puncture] maker is possible, and cannot be excluded".
[D. vorax by TheMorlock]
Who do you think bit the young azhdarchid, and was it scavenging or predating?
I'm not asking for definitive explanations, as none likely exist, but possibilities. _A few articles: https://www.reuters.com/science/fossil-reveals-cretaceous-drama-croc-attack-flying-reptile-2025-01-24/ [Reuters]
https://www.newsweek.com/crocodile-attack-pterosaur-fossils-paleontology-canada-cretaceous-2019790 [Newsweek]
https://www.sci.news/paleontology/cryodrakon-boreas-bone-crocodilian-bite-13605.html [Sci News]
