Paleontologists have identified a new species of procolophonid reptile from fossilized skull and jaw fragments found in southwest England.
The newly discovered species Treodatos casmatoslived during the Late Triassic period, approximately 220 to 210 million years ago.
The ancient creature is a member of Leptopleuroninaean extinct lizard-like quasi-reptilian subfamily within the clade Procolophonidae.
Luke Mead, a palaeontologist at the University of Birmingham, said: “Procolophoids appeared in the late Permian, persisted until the end-Permian extinction event, and were a notable element of the post-extinction fauna in the Triassic, on the supercontinent. They were small quasi-reptile species that were diverse throughout Pangea.” his colleagues.
“Procolophonid diversity decreased during the Late Triassic and is represented only by the late-divergent clade Leptopleuroninae, known for small occurrences in Brazil, North America, Scotland, England, and possibly Wales. ”
“Leptopleuronin procolophorids typically have a reduced number of laterally expanded bicuspid maxillary teeth and are often characterized by cranial decorations such as enlarged spines of the quadrate zygoma.”
“Leptopleuronins appear to be well adapted to a high-fiber herbivore, omnivore, or entomovore diet, and this group may represent the latest surviving clade of Parareptilia.” There is.”
Fossilized remains are Treodatos casmatos It was discovered at Cromhall Quarry in southern Gloucestershire, south-west England.
“The teeth and jaws of this small reptile exhibit features never before seen in this group,” said Dr. Mead, lead author of the paper. study Published in a magazine Paleontology Papers.
“They probably fed differently than their relatives, raising new questions about how these animals interacted with their environment during the Late Triassic. ”
Reptiles have tricuspid teeth in their upper jaws, each with three distinct points. The lower jaw, on the other hand, has compressed unicuspid teeth with unusual edentulous (toothless) tips.
These adaptations may have facilitated unique methods of food processing.
Dr Mark Jones, curator of fossil reptiles at the Natural History Museum, said: “The interaction between the upper and lower teeth is interesting and there are some mammalian similarities in the shape of the teeth.”
“The mandible was not fused at the jaw area; instead, the connection was held by soft tissue and was probably flexible.”
“This flexibility may have allowed the lower jaws to make contact in a way that made it easier to masticate food.”
“This feature is not seen in closely related species and may indicate a specialized diet or feeding strategy.”
“The Late Triassic was a period of dramatic environmental change when Pangea began to collapse.”
“The unique adaptation of teeth is Treodatos casmatos This suggests that they may have carved out a unique ecological niche in a changing climate, feeding on plants, insects, or other small prey that required specialized oral food processing. ”
“Treodatos casmatos “They lived at a time when solar radiation was much lower than it is today, but there was much more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere,” Dr. Jones said.
“It has become generally hotter, global average sea levels have risen, and extreme rainfall events have occurred.”
“therefore, Treodatos casmatos And the communities it lived in may provide perspective on today's threatened ecosystems and the global emergency we face. ”
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Luke E. Mead others. 2024. A new protocolophonid with complex tooth rows that lived in the Late Triassic of southwestern England. paleontology papers 10 (6): e1605;doi: 10.1002/spp2.1605
Source: www.sci.news
