• Sebecid fossils found in the Caribbean indicate their presence as apex predators millions of years ago.
• The discovery challenges previous assumptions about the Caribbean ecosystem and supports the GAARlandia hypothesis.
• Sebecids, described as tall 'crocodile[s] built like a greyhound,' reached up to 20 feet long and survived the asteroid impact that decimated dinosaurs.

Researchers have unearthed fossil evidence of sebecids, extinct crocodile-like predators, in the Caribbean. These sebecids, some reaching 20 feet in length, roamed the islands millions of years ago, long after their South American counterparts disappeared. The discovery, based on fossilized teeth and vertebrae found in locations like the Dominican Republic and Cuba, suggests the Caribbean served as a refuge for these apex predators and supports the theory of past land connections between South America and the Caribbean.

• What: Discovery of sebecid fossils in the Caribbean, indicating their presence as apex predators millions of years ago.
• Who: Lazaro Viñola Lopez (lead author, paleobiologist at the Florida Museum of Natural History), Jonathan Bloch (co-author, curator of vertebrate paleontology at the Florida Museum of Natural History), Elson Core, (graduate student from the University of Puerto Rico).
• When: Sebecids lived in the Caribbean until about five million years ago; fossils dated between 4.57 and 7.14 million years ago.
• Where: Fossils found in the Dominican Republic, Cuba, and Puerto Rico.

The discovery of sebecid fossils in the Caribbean significantly alters our understanding of the region's prehistoric ecosystem. The survival of these apex predators in the Caribbean millions of years after their extinction in South America is remarkable. This suggests that the islands provided a unique environment that allowed them to thrive. The findings also provide strong support for the GAARlandia hypothesis, indicating that there were land connections or island chains that facilitated the migration of land animals between South America and the Caribbean.

That emotion of finding the fossil and realizing what it is, it’s indescribable.

You wouldn’t have been able to predict this looking at the modern ecosystem.

The sebecid is only the tip of the iceberg.

The discovery of sebecid fossils in the Caribbean provides compelling evidence of a previously unknown chapter in the region's natural history. These findings not only shed light on the evolution and distribution of sebecids but also support the GAARlandia hypothesis. Further research and fossil discoveries will likely continue to refine our understanding of the ancient Caribbean ecosystem and the factors that allowed these sprinting crocs to thrive for millions of years.