Cannibalism in a semiaquatic reptile from the Early Cretaceous of China
Cannibalism in a semi-aquatic reptile from the Early Cretaceous of China

Cannibalism or intraspecific predation is a particular form of feeding behavior that is far more common in lower vertebrates and invertebrates than in higher vertebrates such as reptiles, birds and mammals. Evidence for cannibalism in vertebrate fossils, however, is generally rare, and the best examples were recently found in the Madagascan dinosaur Majungatholus atopus , the Neanderthals. Here we report the presence of cannibal-ism in a semiaquatic reptile Monjurosuchus splendens from the Lower Cretaceous of China (Fig. 1), as shown by an adult individual containing seven skulls of juveniles of the same species in its abdominal cavity, indicating that it is an active cannibal that preys on young members of its own kind. This discovery also represents the earliest known and most gruesome cannibalism ever recorded among the prehistoric vertebrates.