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About 13 million years ago, the Tatacoa region of Colombia was not the arid desert it is today. It was full of rivers, dense forests, and large predators. The water was dominated by the Purussaurus, a ten-meter-long crocodile, while the land was dominated by the three-meter-long bird of prey.
For a long time, evidence of these birds was only found in North America and Argentina. But that changed when farmer César Perdomo, an avid collector of fossils, discovered a piece of bone in the Tatacoa desert. The piece was part of a bird of prey leg and sat in his private museum for years before experts confirmed its value.
Perdomo, who began collecting fossils at the age of five, collected more than 5,000 pieces that he called “his family.” His collaboration with biologist Andrés Link led to the official confirmation that prey also lived in Colombia.
The piece of bone showed two puncture marks, signs of an attack. Experts believe the bird was attacked by a Purussaurus and did not survive the injuries. Thus, the evidence revealed the story of the violent death of a once dominant land animal.
This discovery combined the knowledge of a farmer with academic research, and Perdomo is now recognized as a significant scientific contribution. His dream of collaborating with scientists has come true, and he continues to collaborate with them on new scientific publications.
For a long time, evidence of these birds was only found in North America and Argentina. But that changed when farmer César Perdomo, an avid collector of fossils, discovered a piece of bone in the Tatacoa desert. The piece was part of a bird of prey leg and sat in his private museum for years before experts confirmed its value.
Perdomo, who began collecting fossils at the age of five, collected more than 5,000 pieces that he called “his family.” His collaboration with biologist Andrés Link led to the official confirmation that prey also lived in Colombia.
The piece of bone showed two puncture marks, signs of an attack. Experts believe the bird was attacked by a Purussaurus and did not survive the injuries. Thus, the evidence revealed the story of the violent death of a once dominant land animal.
This discovery combined the knowledge of a farmer with academic research, and Perdomo is now recognized as a significant scientific contribution. His dream of collaborating with scientists has come true, and he continues to collaborate with them on new scientific publications.
