Lucy’s hunter revealed: Giant crocodile terrorized early human ancestors

Article excerpt

A newly identified giant crocodile species that prowled Ethiopian rivers over 3 million years ago may have regularly hunted early human ancestors, according to fossil analysis. Researchers nicknamed the predator "Lucy's hunter" because it lived alongside Australopithecus afarensis, the species that produced the famous Lucy skeleton. The crocodile was likely the ecosystem's apex predator, posing a significant threat to our early relatives who shared the same waterways. The discovery adds a new dimension to understanding the dangers faced by hominin populations in ancient Africa.