Paleontologists in San Juan Province have described a new species of crocodylomorph that defies the lineage's predatory reputation. The specimen, Phytosuchus plantarum, possessed specialized flat, grinding teeth designed to process the tough ferns and conifers of the Triassic period. This small, armor-plated ancestor lived alongside the earliest dinosaurs and represents a previously unknown evolutionary experiment.
The preservation of the fossil is exceptional, including fragments of stomach contents that confirm a plant-based diet. This discovery challenges the long-held view that early crocodylomorphs were exclusively carnivores, suggesting they occupied a much wider range of ecological niches before the rise of the large herbivorous dinosaurs.