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Fossils Reveal Sebecids Survived in the Caribbean Until 4–7 Million Years Ago

New findings confirm sebecids, terrestrial crocodile relatives, persisted on Caribbean islands long after their South American extinction, reshaping understanding of ancient ecosystems and dispersal routes.

An illustration shows the life reconstruction of a terrestrial crocodile relative from a lineage called sebecids, in this handout image released on April 29, 2025. Fossils from the Dominican Republican dating to 5-7 million years ago indicate that sebecids survived several million years longer than previously believed. Jorge Machuky/Handout via REUTERS

Overview

  • Researchers identified flattened vertebrae and serrated teeth from fossils in the Dominican Republic as belonging to sebecids, confirming their presence in the Caribbean.
  • The fossils, dated to 4–7 million years ago, extend the known survival of sebecids beyond their extinction in South America 10–12 million years ago.
  • This marks the first definitive record of sebecids in the Caribbean, with earlier isolated teeth in Cuba and Puerto Rico suggesting broader regional distribution.
  • The discovery supports hypotheses of ancient land bridges or rafting as potential dispersal methods for sebecids from South America to the Caribbean.
  • Sebecids, terrestrial apex predators with upright limbs and serrated teeth, played a critical role in ancient Caribbean ecosystems before their extinction.