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Fossils of Carnivorous “Swamp Creature” Unearthed in Brazil

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Paleontologists have unearthed the fossilized lower right canine tooth of a significant proborchiid Sparathodont in Brazil’s Taubaté Basin.

The lower right canine tooth of a large proborchiid sparasodont excavated from the Tremembé Formation in Brazil. Scale bar – 5 mm inches (AE) and 20 mm inches (H). Image credit: Rangel et al., doi: 10.4072/rbp.2025.2.0534.

The newly discovered fossils date back to the Oligocene Desedan period, approximately 29 to 21 million years ago.

This specimen has been classified as a yet unnamed member of the Proborhyaenidae, an extinct family of South American mammals within the Metatherian order of Sparassodonta.

These creatures played the role of carnivorous predators on the Cenozoic continents.

“Sparassodonta represents an extinct clade of metatherians exclusive to South America, which served as the primary predator of terrestrial mammals on this continent throughout the Cenozoic era,” noted paleontologist Dr. Caio César Rangel from the Federal University of Uberlandia and the Federal University of Pernambuco and colleagues.

“Their evolutionary journey included two significant diversification events, first during the Eocene and later in the Miocene.”

“The Oligocene is marked by cooler temperatures compared to the late Eocene and Miocene.”

“This global cooling trend led to substantial environmental changes, resulting in a turnover in fauna across South America, including both extinctions and diversifications among various Metatherian clades.”

Reconstruction of Thylacosmilus atrochus, a type of post-saber-toothed beast that is part of the sister lineage to the Proborhyaenidae. Image credit: Roman Uchytel.

Paleontologists retrieved the new specimen, measuring 5.73 centimeters (2.3 inches) in length, from the lower section of the Tremembé Formation in São Paulo state, eastern Brazil.

The researchers explained, “The Taubate Basin is situated in São Paulo in southeastern Brazil, stretching from the city of Cachoeira Paulista to Jacarei.”

“It measures approximately 150 km (93 miles) in length and 10–20 km (6–12 miles) in width and lies within a rift between the Serra do Mar and Serra da Mantiqueira mountains.”

“The Tremembé Formation is the sole Late Oligocene fossil site in Brazil that preserves a diverse array of mammalian fossils and native species,” they added.

“The fauna within this area includes representatives from Metatheria, Pteroptera, Rodentia, Singleta, Astrapoteria, Litopterna, Notungulata, and Pyrotheria.”

This ancient predator thrived in wetland and lake environments and is believed to have held the position of apex predator.

The researchers noted, “The observable wear on the crown and the associated undulations found on the canines indicate that their frequent use is likely related to the capture or active processing of prey by adult specimens.”

This discovery broadens the geographic distribution of Proborhyaenidae and marks the second record of this member of the Sparasodontidae in Brazil.

“This record enhances the diversity of large mammals found in the Tremembé Formation,” the authors stated.

“In general, this region serves as a crucial geological and paleontological resource that offers valuable insights into the final phases of the Paleogene period in tropical South America.”

For more about this discovery, refer to the published paper in the August 2025 issue of Revista Brasileira de Paleontology.

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CC Rangel et al. 2025. The “swamp monster” of the Tremembé Formation (Taubaté Basin, Brazil, late Oligocene): description of a carnivorous metatherian (Sparasodonta, Proborhyaenidae). Revista Brasileira de Paleontology 28 (2): e20250534; doi: 10.4072/rbp.2025.2.0534

Source: www.sci.news

This Timeless Blue Sea Creature Has Rescued Countless Lives

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Long before dinosaurs roamed the Earth, peculiar creatures abandoned their journeys across the ocean floor. They resembled beings adorned with spiked helmets and had eyes positioned on top, along with sharp tails extending behind them.

Today, horseshoe crabs still exist and belong to the animal order known as Xiphosura, derived from ancient Greek, meaning “sword” and “tail.” Despite their name, they are more closely related to spiders than to crustaceans.

Fossils of horseshoe crabs date back to the Upper Ordovician period, approximately 450 million years ago. Their descendants—four existing species—have undergone significant changes in appearance, earning them the title of “living fossils.”

Despite their ancient lineage, horseshoe crabs are crucial in today’s world. Most people eventually come into contact with life-saving doses of bright blue blood derived from these creatures.

The blue hue comes from Hemocyanin, a pigment responsible for oxygen transport, which is analogous to red hemoglobin found in vertebrate blood.

Importantly, it also harbors their blood. Amebocytes, a powerful immune cell are exceptionally sensitive to harmful toxins produced by bacteria. Endotoxins, prevalent in the environment, are resistant to standard sterilization methods.

Should a vaccine contain endotoxins, it could trigger a dangerous reaction historically known as “injection fever.”

Previously, tests were conducted by injecting a vaccine batch into a living rabbit; if any exhibited a fever, it signified contamination.

In the 1960s, American marine biologists observed that the blue blood of horseshoe crabs coagulated instantly upon contact with fever-inducing endotoxin. This mechanism allows horseshoe crabs to encapsulate bacteria by forming clots around them, proving beneficial for human applications.

Now, rather than injecting rabbits, hundreds of thousands of horseshoe crabs are harvested from the ocean each year, with a third of their blood extracted to test for endotoxins in intravenous medications and medical implants.

Many people eventually encounter the vibrant blue blood of a life-saving horseshoe crab – Image credit: Jurgen Freund/Naturepl.com

The demand for blue blood has surged, especially with the competition surrounding the development of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Not all horseshoe crabs survive the blood collection process; approximately 15-30% do not. Conservationists are advocating for synthetic alternatives to blood tests.

In the 1990s, researchers in Singapore developed a method to create synthetic endotoxin detection using a compound based on horseshoe crab DNA. Currently, various alternative compounds mimic this reaction without utilizing horseshoe crab blood.

Although regulatory processes have been sluggish, these new compounds received approval for use in Europe in 2016 and 2024. Nowadays, pharmaceutical companies are increasingly opting for synthetic methods.

This development bodes well not just for horseshoe crabs but also for other species reliant on them. Each year, thousands of horseshoe crabs come ashore on sandy beaches along North America’s East Coast, particularly in Delaware Bay, where eggs are laid near Philadelphia.

A single female lays around 4,000 eggs, many of which become vital sustenance for migratory birds like the red knot, which journey between South America and the Canadian Arctic.

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Source: www.sciencefocus.com

Bite Marks Indicate the Terrobird Was Likely Preyed Upon by an Even Larger Creature 13 Million Years Ago

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Sporting a shaft-like beak capable of inflicting devastating blows, the infamous terrorist birds have emerged as formidable adversaries for many species.

Around 13 million years ago, however, one such bird may have fallen prey to even larger predators. A group of Colombian paleontologists made this discovery while analyzing bite marks found on fossilized remnants of the fearsome avian.

Their findings were published in the peer-reviewed journal “Biology Letters.” The researchers hypothesized that the bird was killed and consumed by medium-sized caimans, a crocodilian species.

Andres Link, the study’s lead investigator, shared with NBC News via email, “This represents a captivating tale of interaction between two iconic animals from the past. Not only did we identify the first instance of terrorist birds in northern South America, but we also found the tooth marks of the large caiman that likely preyed on it.”

Most unusual fossils of terrorist birds have previously been found in the southern regions of the continent, as noted in this report.

Link, an associate professor in biological sciences at the University of Los Andes, remarked that while tooth marks are “not uncommon” in the fossil record, it is “thrilling” to find proof that apex predators could fall victim to others.

The paper in “Biology Letters” highlights that there were no signs of healing on the tooth marks, indicating a fatal attack.

This leads researchers to conclude that terrorist birds may have been more vulnerable to predation than previously believed.

Julian Bayona Becerra / Biology Letters

To determine the identity of the predator, Link and his team performed scans of the fossils and examined the size, shape, and arrangement of the tooth marks. By comparing these features with alligator-like teeth from the region, they deduced that the marks likely belong to a caiman measuring about 15 feet long.

Link noted that it was challenging to ascertain whether the caiman consumed the terrorist bird after killing it or scavenged the carcass. If the bird was alive during the encounter, it likely happened while it was drinking at the riverbank; alternatively, if it was already deceased, the caiman may have found it near the water.

“This narrative remains incomplete, as we lack further evidence to support either hypothesis,” Link stated.

The discovery calls into question the traditional view of “linear relationships between predators and their herbivore prey,” he remarked, adding, “The food web is considerably more intricate.”

The lower section of the bird’s left leg featured in this research was excavated two decades ago by local paleontologist Cesar Perdomo in the renowned La Venta fossil layer of Colombia.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

The ancient creature boasted “goblin-like” teeth and a customizable tail.

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Artistic reconstruction of Borguamondor

Karen Townsend

An extinct creature uncovered in North America offers fresh insights into the region’s life around 75 million years ago.

The creature has been described as “looking like a goblin jumping out of a rock,” according to Hank Woolley of the Los Angeles County Natural History Museum. This species, known as Monstaurus, is part of a group of reptiles that thrived during the late Cretaceous period. Woolley notes it could have been “around 3 to 4 feet from tail to tip.” “Best to stay away,” he warns.

Woolley named the species Borguamondor. The first part of the name derives from a Lord of the Rings character, while the second part is inspired by an invented Elvish word, referring to its bone armor — a trait shared with its relatives, modern Gira Monsters (Healoderma Sumpectum).

Remarkably preserved fossils were found in Utah two decades ago by Joseph Sertich. Initially, the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute believed it was a prehistoric lizard. Sertich recalls, “I found a collection of scattered bones in a low, flat sandy area,” including the skull, vertebrae, jawbone, and parts of a hip bone.

Sertich encouraged Woolley to investigate the fossils at the museum in 2022. B. Amondor represents an extinct species of lizard known as the Monstaurus. They found evidence that some could shed their tails when injured, making it the oldest known example of this defensive strategy that modern lizards employ.

bones belonging to Borguamondor

Utah Natural History Museum/Bureau of Land Management

According to researchers, B. Amondor dined on small mammals, frogs, snakes, insects, and “things not primarily plants,” even considering dinosaur eggs as part of its “round-length” diet. Its habitat was likely a wetland ecosystem, quite hot and humid, resembling the modern-day U.S. Gulf Coast rather than the arid landscape we see today.

Randall Nydam from Midwest University in Illinois, though not involved in this research, emphasizes the cautionary aspect of the story, reflecting on the vulnerabilities of such formidable “monsters,” both ancient and modern. “We must also acknowledge that they are long gone,” he states, “vanished due to changing circumstances.”

Continuing the dialogue about B. Amondor, Sertich believes people should broaden their understanding of these creatures. “Imagining North America’s primal tropical forests should portray nightmare lizard-hunting dinosaurs navigating the underbrush and scaling trees,” he suggests.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Scientists Unravel the Mystery of a 40-Year-Old Sea Creature

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An unusual ancient marine reptile has been formally recognized, decades after its fossil was initially found in Canada.

This 12-meter creature, Traskasaura Sandrae, was a type of predator contemporaneous with dinosaurs. It resembled a long-necked plesiosaurus with peculiar anatomy and a distinct top-down hunting approach.

“The presence of its bizarre characteristics — it was an animal that appeared quite unusual — made it nearly impossible for researchers to classify it,” said Professor F. Robin O’Keefe, a paleontologist at Marshall University and the lead author of the study, as reported by BBC Science Focus.

The original fossil was found along the Pantledge River on Vancouver Island in 1988, having remained on the ground for 85 million years. Surprisingly, it was nearly complete, with the skull, neck, limbs, and tail, although one side had deteriorated. “It appeared well-preserved from a distance,” O’Keefe noted.

It wasn’t until certain elements were uncovered that the pieces began to align.

“The remarkable preservation allowed us to investigate some of the odd features of the adult fossils and to interpret what we were observing,” O’Keefe explained. “The discovery of this second skeleton permitted its classification as a new species.”

The juvenile fossilized remains aided scientists in identifying the new species. – Courtney and District Museum and Paleontology Center

Among its unique traits is its shoulder structure, which diverges from that of known plesiosaurs, facing downward.

In contrast, its flipper resembles an inverted airplane wing, featuring a more curved underside rather than the top. “This emphasized the animal’s upside during its unique hunting approach,” O’Keefe noted.

This is significant as it implies that Traskasaura hunted in an atypical manner: by descending upon its prey from above.

“Normally, reptiles swim in water where light comes from above, leading animals to hunt upwards as they spot prey silhouetted against the surface light,” O’Keefe explained. “This animal approached it differently.”

Its potential prey likely included creatures related to modern squids and octopuses, as well as extinct coiled-shelled ammonites, which were crushed with its sharp teeth.

Despite its formidable size and appearance, Traskasaura was by no means the apex of the ancient seas. “It was substantial, yet it didn’t possess a notably large neck or head,” O’Keefe remarked. “If a Mosasaur, known for its large teeth, were to seize it, it could inflict serious damage.”

Nevertheless, Traskasaura would have thrived in the ocean, feasting on abundant resources. Unfortunately, like all plesiosaurs, the species faced extinction during the mass extinction event approximately 66 million years ago.

“They were flourishing, and their ecosystems were relatively robust until an asteroid impact decimated all the large animals,” O’Keefe stated.

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About our experts

F. Robin O’Keefe received his Honorary Biology degree from Stanford University in 1992 and a Ph.D. in 2000, specializing in evolutionary biology at the University of Chicago. He has been a professor at Marshall University since 2006, teaching over 200,000 undergraduate students across various subjects, from human anatomy to comparative zoology and Earth’s history.

A recognized expert in marine reptiles from the age of dinosaurs, O’Keefe was awarded the 2013 Drinko Distinguished Research Fellowship for his work on the reproduction of plesiosaurs.

Source: www.sciencefocus.com

This Fossilized Creature Has Three Eyes, Yet Everything Else Seems Familiar

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Over 500 million years ago, Matt Groening and The Simpsons introduced us to Blinking, mutated fish with extra eyes that swam from an old fish hole in Springfield, pursuing their prey through Cambrian seas. Once you catch a quarry, a circular mouth lined with teeth will do the rest.

This creature, named Mothra Fentoni, is a remarkable addition to the peculiar fossils preserved in the Burgess Shale, a significant fossil deposit in the Canadian Rockies. However, findings published in the journal on Wednesday Royal Society Open Science suggest that Mothra may not be as alien as it initially appears.

The first Mothra specimens were unearthed over a century ago by paleontologist Charles Walcott, who discovered Burgess Shale in 1909. In recent years, paleontologists at the Ontario Museum in Toronto have unearthed “layers of seabeds revealing a plethora of Mothra fossils.”

Although they were not fish, it was evident that the masses from the sea related to Radiodonts, the group of ancestral arthropods dominating the Cambrian food chain. However, comprehensive examinations of these animals only began in 2012 when numerous Mothra specimens were found at Marble Canyon, an outcrop of Burgess Shale.

“The collection of both old and new specimens motivated us to finally understand this animal,” said Joseph Moiszk, a paleontologist who studied the Marble Canyon fossils during his doctoral research.

Dr. Moiszk collaborated with advisors at the Royal Ontario Museum, including Jan Bernard Carron, to analyze approximately 60 ocean specimens. Like other Burgess Shale creatures, many Mothra specimens are well-preserved, showcasing features such as the gastrointestinal tract and circulatory system. Some even exhibited traces of nerve bundles in each of the creature’s three eyes.

The team meticulously documented the detailed anatomy of the flat fossils by photographing Mothra specimens under polarized light.

A defining characteristic of living arthropods is their body division into specialized segments. For instance, crustaceans like crabs have varying appendages suited for different functions such as feeding and locomotion. Fossils of early arthropod ancestors, including other Radiodonts, display relatively simple body plans. Consequently, researchers have long theorized that segmentation evolved slowly over time.

Mothra supports this trend. Though measuring only 2.5 inches in length, the creature’s body was divided into as many as 26 segments.

“This feature has never been observed in this group before,” remarked Dr. Moisiuk, currently at the Manitoba Museum in Winnipeg.

Along with its broad swimming flaps, the animal had a highly segmented trunk behind its body. Researchers note that this area resembles abdominal structures used by crabs, woodlice, and various insects for respiration.

Optimizing oxygen intake was crucial for active predators like Mothra. Researchers believe the animal hunted small prey in open waters while needing to distance itself from larger contemporaries, such as the 2-foot-long, oddly-shaped titanocory.

Since no other Radiodont displayed such a specialized trunk, researchers have classified Mothra in its unique group. Instead of naming the creature after that three-eyed cartoon fish, the team drew inspiration from another pop culture icon, Mothra, Godzilla’s winged adversary. Dr. Moysiuk stated that the name pays homage to the creature’s nickname while celebrating the lasting appeal of Japanese Burgess Shale creatures.

The team also identified other notable features in Mothra, such as dark, reflective patches and swimming flaps within the animal’s body. Researchers speculate these could indicate spaces for blood vessels, possibly linked to the heart’s pumping system.

However, some scientists remain skeptical that these features represent fossilized blood vessels. Joanna Wolf, a paleontologist at Harvard University who wasn’t involved in the study, suggested they might represent other structures, such as the digestive tract.

While some of Mothra’s attributes may stir scientific debate, Dr. Caron believes the body segments of this ancient sea creature reveal ties to modern arthropods. “It certainly is a very unique animal,” he concluded.

Source: www.nytimes.com

The Terrifying Hyena-Like Creature Roamed Africa 30 Million Years Ago.

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Paleontologists at American universities in Cairo and elsewhere say they found the almost perfect skull of Hyaenodont Bust Don Siltos in the lower part of the Ebel Catrani Formation in Egypt.

Bust Don Siltos. Image credit: Ahmad Morsi.

Bust Don Siltos lived in Egypt’s lush forests around 30 million years ago during the Oligocene era. Egypt is now home to the desert.

It is also known as Pterodon syrtos, the ancient species had the weight of hyenas or leopards (27 kg).

The animal had sharp teeth and strong jaw muscles, suggesting a strong bite.

It had a highly carnivorous diet that likely preyed on primates, early hippos, early elephants, and other large mammals.

“Bust Don Siltos belongs to a species of extinct group of carnivorous mammals known as hyaenodonts,” Dr. Shoruk al Ashkar, a paleontologist at Mansora University, American University in Cairo and colleagues, said.

“Hyenodons evolved before modern carnivorous animals such as cats, dogs and hyenas.”

“After the extinction of dinosaurs, these predators with hyena-like teeth hunted in African ecosystems.”

The skull of Bust Don Siltos was excavated in the Jebel Catlany Formation in the Faium depression.

“For several days, our team excavated a densely packed layer of rock dating back about 30 million years,” said Dr. Al Ashkar.

“As we were about to wrap up, our team members found something amazing. A large set of teeth sticking out from the ground.”

“His excited cry united the team and marked the beginning of an extraordinary discovery. The almost complete skull of an ancient apex carnivorous animal – a dream for a vertebrate paleontologist.”

“Faium is one of Africa’s most important fossil regions,” added Dr. Matt Bose, fossil curator at the Duke University Museum of Natural History.

“Without it, we would know little about the origins of African ecosystems and the evolution of African mammals like elephants, primates, and hyenodon.”

“Discovering Bustodon is an important achievement in understanding the diversity and evolution of Hyaenodonts and its global distribution,” said Dr. Al-Ashqar.

“We want to continue our research to unravel the complex relationships between these ancient predators and their environments across time and the continent.”

In their study, the authors also reevaluated a group of lion-sized hyanodons discovered in the rocks of Faium over 120 years ago.

They established a new genus of hyaenodont, sekhmetops, and reanalyzed materials from 33.8 million years ago.

They demonstrated that both Bustodon and sekhmetops actually belonged to the Hyaenodont group, which originated in Africa.

“Relatives of Bustodon and sekhmetops spread across multiple waves from Africa and eventually reached Asia, Europe, India, and North America,” they said.

“18 million years ago, some relatives of these Hyaenodonts were among the largest mammalian meat eaters to walk the planet.”

“However, radical changes in Africa’s global climate and geological shifts opened the continent to modern cats, dogs, and hyena ancestors.”

“As the environment and prey changed, the specialized and carnivorous hyaenodonts became less diverse and eventually became extinct, bringing primate relatives face to face with new adversaries.”

Survey results will be published in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology.

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Shorouq F. al-ashqar et al. Cranial anatomy of hypercarnivore Bust Don Siltos Gen. November. (hyaenodonta, hyainailourinae) and reevaluation of Pterodon in Africa. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology Published online on February 16th, 2025. doi:10.1080/02724634.2024.2442472

Source: www.sci.news

The real cause of the degradation of Earth’s most magnificent creature

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New study shows that humans, not climate, caused decline of megafauna 50,000 years ago

New research from Aarhus University confirms that it was humans, not climate, that caused the dramatic decline in large mammal populations over the past 50,000 years. Scientists have long debated whether humans or climate were to blame, but new DNA analysis of 139 extant large mammal species shows that climate cannot explain the decline.

About 100,000 years ago, the first modern humans migrated from Africa, settling in every type of terrain and hunting large animals using clever techniques and weapons. Unfortunately, this led to the extinction of many large mammals during the era of human colonization, and new research reveals that the surviving large mammals also experienced a dramatic decline.

According to Jens Christian Svenning, professor and director of the Danish National Research Foundation’s Center for New Biosphere Ecodynamics at Aarhus University, the populations of nearly all 139 species of large mammals declined about 50,000 years ago. DNA analysis shows that the decline is related to human dispersal rather than climate change.

This study used DNA analysis to map the long-term history of 139 large mammal species that have survived without extinction for the past 50,000 years, and scientists were able to estimate the population size of each species over time. The results are conclusive that human dispersal is the most likely cause of the decline in large mammal populations.

The study also showed that woolly mammoths are a poor example for climate-based models of extinction, as the vast majority of megafauna species that went extinct lived in temperate and tropical regions, not mammoth grasslands. Despite ongoing debate, the evidence strongly points to human activity rather than climate change as the main cause of the dramatic decline in large mammal populations.

Source: scitechdaily.com