Winds of Patagonia and Teeth of Sobek Lend Name to a Hypercarnivore
Seventy million years ago, in what is now southern Argentina, a fearsome predator prowled the Cretaceous landscape. Scientists have revealed a new species of crocodile-like reptile, Kostensuchus atrox, a hypercarnivore that likely hunted dinosaurs and other large prey.
The fossil was discovered in 2020 near El Calafate in southern Patagonia’s Chorrillo Formation. Preserved inside a large stone concretion, the remains include a beautifully intact skull, jaws, and part of the skeleton. At full size, the creature stretched about 11.5 feet (3.5 meters) and weighed roughly 550 pounds (250 kilograms).
The discovery as announced on August 27. 2024 in the scientific journal PLOS One.
The name Kostensuchus atrox carries layers of meaning: “Kosten” refers to the powerful Patagonian wind, while “Suchus” recalls the Egyptian crocodile-headed god Sobek. Together, the name signals both the environment where the predator lived and its ferocious character.
Unlike today’s crocodiles, K. atrox belonged to a now-extinct group called Peirosauridae, relatives of modern crocs that evolved in the southern continents. Its broad snout, blade-like teeth, and muscular forelimbs point to a diet of mostly meat—more than 70% of what it ate. Scientists say its anatomy shows it was well-equipped to take down sizeable prey, including dinosaurs that shared its environment.
The discovery is especially important because it provides the most complete picture yet of a large, broad-snouted peirosaurid. Its closest relatives lived far away, such as Colhuehuapisuchus in central Patagonia and Miadanasuchus in Madagascar. That makes K. atrox both the latest-living and southernmost member of its family.
By filling in these evolutionary details, researchers show that crocodyliforms were not just lurking in rivers—they were top predators on land, shaping ecosystems at the very end of the Age of Dinosaurs. And in the process, Sobek gets some love and a nod from science.
Demeter’s Sanctuary Emerges in Aigai
Demeter [Source: Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Napoli, Public Domain
A temple dedicated to Demeter, revered in ancient and modern Hellenistic, Roman, and eclectic traditions as the goddess of agriculture, fertility, and the life-giving soil, is being uncovered in the ancient city of Aigai. Located in the Yuntdağı region of today’s Yunusemre district, Aigai was one of the twelve Aeolian cities founded in Türkiye’s Western Anatolia during the eighth century BCE. The ongoing excavations, directed by Professor Yusuf Sezgin of Manisa Celal Bayar University, are now focusing on this sacred space to the goddess who embodied sustenance and abundance.
While earlier seasons revealed temples devoted to Athena and Apollo, this year’s work has brought to light a modest sanctuary for Demeter. The structure, dating to the Hellenistic period, measures roughly 50 square meters and consists of two rooms. Within the temple, archaeologists have documented nearly 1,000 miniature hydria—tiny water vessels offered as dedications to the goddess. These finds now confirm an inscription noted by German researchers in 1886, identifying the temple as Demeter’s.
For the people of Aigai, Demeter held particular importance. Unlike more fertile regions of the Aegean, Aigai occupied rugged land with limited agricultural potential. In such a landscape, honoring the goddess of the harvest was not only an act of devotion but also a plea for survival. Water, essential for crops, was symbolically linked to Demeter’s gift of fertility.
Professor Sezgin suggests that worshippers likely carried water from local springs to pour into the small hydria, leaving them as votive offerings to ensure abundance.
Though damaged by illicit digging in the 1960s, the sanctuary still bears witness to the community’s faith. The discovery of so many offerings illustrates how central Demeter was to Aigai as well as her vital presence in life-giving soil.
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Tarot of the Week by Star Bustamonte
Deck: Midnight Magic: A Tarot Deck of Mushrooms, by Sara Richard, published by Adams Media, an imprint of Simon and Schuster, Inc.
Card: Three (3) of Swords – False Morel – Gyromitra esculenta
This week is liable to offer up situations that are difficult and evoke strong emotions centered around grief, heartbreak, and sadness. Expressing feelings of grief, pain, or sorrow can help us to release them, paving the way to accepting the reality of the situation and beginning to move past it. Being mindful of and addressing emotional, mental, and physical health is also indicated.
Conversely, being kind to oneself and applying self-forgiveness could be key in recovering optimism and self-confidence. Letting go of past hurts, grievances, and losses that have had a major impact can open the door for new experiences to be embraced. There may also be opportunities to be a peacemaker, as well as reminders to think before opening one’s mouth.
Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day
Social media is filled today with tributes to animals who have crossed the Veil. It makes sense that our pets rejoin the Mighty Dead, and we thought it fitting to honor the day here.
Each year on August 28, pet lovers around the world pause to remember their animal companions on Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day. The observance was founded in 2015 by author Deborah Barnes, after the loss of her beloved cat, Mr. Jazz. It draws inspiration from the well-known poem The Rainbow Bridge, which imagines a peaceful meadow in the afterlife where pets joyfully await reunion with their humans.
Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day offers both comfort and community. For many, the grief of losing a pet is profound, and this observance affirms that such loss is real and worthy of reflection. People mark the day in many ways—lighting candles, sharing photos and stories online, creating memory boxes, or visiting a favorite place once shared with their pet. Social media has amplified the observance, with the hashtag #RainbowBridgeRemembranceDay creating a community worldwide.
Hail the Travelers!
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