14 species of crocodile lived in South America around 5
million years ago, at least seven of which populated the coastal areas of the
Urumaco River in Venezuela at the same time. Paleontologists from the
University of Zurich have found evidence of an abundance of closely related
crocodiles that remains unparalleled to this day. As they were highly
specialized, the crocodiles occupied different eco-niches. When the
watercourses changed due to the Andean uplift, however, all the crocodile
species became extinct.