Scientific discoveries: Acynodon between Technology and Palaeontology

A major study conducted at the paleontological site of Villaggio del Pescatore, in Friuli-Venezia Giulia, has revealed new information on the appearance of the Italian territory at the time of the dinosaurs. This project, a collaboration between the Municipality of Trieste and Zoic s.r.l., led to the extraction and preparation of numerous fossil finds, including those of the rare crocodile Acynodon, a semi-aquatic reptile that lived during the Cretaceous period.
Cooperation with Elettra revealed previously unseen details of Acynodon's skull that were impossible to obtain before without damaging the fossil. Although similar to a small crocodile, its teeth are surprising: the front teeth are adapted to grasp small prey, while the massive, rounded rear teeth shred shells. This unique adaptation suggests that the Cretaceous crocodiles at the Fisherman's Village were very different in size, shape and diet to those of today. The results of the research were published in the scientific journal The Anatomical Record (Muscioni et al., 2024).