Fossil Trucks Redefine the Story of Terrestrial Animals, Departing from Aquatic Origins

Posted on May 15, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

Tracks that form an impression of artists with lizard-like beings

Marcin Ambrozik

A discovery in Victoria, Australia has unearthed evidence of some of the earliest reptile-like ancestors, which are the forerunners to many modern creatures including birds, reptiles, and mammals. This finding could potentially alter the timeline of when such animals transitioned from aquatic environments to terrestrial habitats, marking a pivotal evolutionary milestone, though opinions remain divided.

In 2021, two amateur fossil hunters stumbled upon a sandstone slab while exploring the banks of a river near Mansfield, Victoria. This slab bore three distinct sets of tracks, believed to belong to the same type of tetrapod—four-legged creatures. Notably, two of these sets exhibited five-digit impressions with curved claws.

Fossils caught the attention of John Long from Flinders University in Adelaide, who, along with his team, dated the slab to around 356 million years ago. This predates the previously known oldest nail fossils by over 35 million years, which were discovered in Nova Scotia, Canada, according to research findings.

“These new trackways clearly illustrate beautiful five-fingered hands and hooked claws,” Long states. He describes these as “remarkable finds,” representing creatures that developed young in amniotic fluid or via egg-laying—this includes reptiles, mammals, and notably, humans.

Moreover, Long eliminates the possibility that these animals were amphibians since early amphibians were characterized by a larval stage of development. “None of the early amphibians possessed well-formed claws.” he affirms.

This implies that the fossilized tracks are likely the earliest known examples of land-dwelling reptiles. “This marks a profound change in evolution, as it suggests that hard-shelled eggs allowed these creatures to move onto dry land and populate new territories,” he explains.

Fossil tracks illustrate front footprints (yellow) and rear footprints (blue)

Grzegorz Niedzwiedzki

Additional evidence indicating that the tracks were made on land, rather than in water, includes the presence of raindrop impressions within the surrounding slabs, according to Long. While researchers remain cautious, he expresses a strong belief that “99% certainty points to early reptiles.”

Blake Dixon from the University of New South Wales in Sydney adds that both images and analyses suggest confidence that the fossils belong to clawed animals. “This represents the earliest evidence we have of advanced terrestrial movement,” he asserts.

However, trackway researchers Stephen Salisbury and Anthony Romilio from the University of Queensland acknowledge the significance of the new fossils but raise questions regarding whether the impressions are true nails or merely pointed digits.

“The discovery is on the cusp of understanding claws,” remarks Romilio. “If they are indeed nail impressions, that positions them closer to reptiles.” Long maintains that he believes these footprints do represent nails.

Salisbury also points out that the presence of raindrop impressions does not definitively indicate when the tracks were made; rather, it reflects conditions of the surface at the time. Long counters, stating, “The fact that raindrops left impressions signifies that they were present before the creature made its tracks, thus ruling out underwater creation.” The implications of these findings are extensive for understanding early terrestrial life.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

CICADA: A Newly Discovered Fossil Song Species from Germany

Posted on May 10, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

The Cicadidae family is among the most diverse insect families today. However, the fossil record of Cicadidae is notably sparse compared to the number of extant species. The recently discovered species, Eoplatypleura Messelensis, is not only one of the earliest Cicadidae fossils found on the Eurasian continent, but it also represents the oldest record of the subfamily CICADINAE globally.

Reconstruction of Eoplatypleura Messelensis. Image credit: Dinghua Yang.

Eoplatypleura Messelensis thrived in Europe approximately 47 million years ago during the Eocene period.

“The Cicada family is one of the most diverse groups of insects today,” states Dr. Sonja Wedmann, a paleontologist at the Senckenberg Forschungsinstitut und Naturmuseum Frankfurt/Main.

“Despite this, the fossil record is quite limited compared to the many modern species.”

“The Platypleurini group within this family is particularly noteworthy, containing numerous species with wide distributions and unique traits.”

“For the first time, we have described a fossil from this Cicada group.”

Two fossil specimens of Eoplatypleura Messelensis were found at Messelpit, an open-cast oil shale mine located 10 km northeast of Darmstadt in Hesse, Germany.

“The new Messel fossil showcases a compact head with a subtle composite eye and a broad forewing featuring a distinctly curved tip,” notes Dr. Hui Jang, a paleontologist at the Senckenberg Forschungsinstitut and a doctoral researcher at the University of Maine and Nanjing University.

“The fossils are female, but their classification implies that males in this group may produce loud mating calls.”

Eoplatypleura Messelensis, an adult female. Image credit: Senckenberg Forschungsinstitut und Naturmuseum Frankfurt/Main.

These ancient insects measure 2.65 cm in body length and have a wingspan of 6.82 cm, notable for their expansive, intricately patterned wings.

“These patterns resemble those of contemporary Cicada species in the Platypleurini group, which inhabit wooded and scrub areas,” explains Dr. Jang.

“Considering the subtropical vegetation of the Messel region approximately 47 million years ago, these color patterns may have served important ecological functions, such as camouflage.”

Eoplatypleura Messelensis is one of the oldest known representatives of today’s true cicadas in Eurasia and signifies the earliest records of the subfamily Cicadinae worldwide,” Dr. Wedmann remarks.

“This is also the Cicada that has been first described from the Messel Pit.”

“This discovery not only enhances our understanding of the fauna at Messelpit but also fills a crucial gap in the history of Eocene cicadas.”

“In the future, Eoplatypleura Messelensis may serve as a reference point for significant time series in genetic research regarding the evolutionary history of these insects, providing new insights into the origins and dispersal of Platypleurini.”

The team’s paper was published in the journal Scientific Reports on April 29, 2025.

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H. Jiang et al. 2025. Sound from the Eocene: The first singing Cicada from Messelpit, Germany. Sci Rep 15, 12826; doi:10.1038/s41598-025-94099-7

Source: www.sci.news

Ancient Fossil Feathers of a Gryphon Vulture Discovered in Italy Dating Back 30,000 Years

Posted on March 20, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

Fossil feathers are usually preserved or embedded in amber as impressions of carbonaceous membranes and lake sediments and marine sediments, but are rarely mineralized. In a new study, paleontologists have examined the mineralised feathers of 30,000 years old Griffon vultures preserved in ash-rich volcanic deposits of the Koli-Albani Volcanic Complex in Rome, Italy. Bird feathers were conserved in three dimensions, conserving tissue ultrastructures such as melanosomes. These ultrastructures are mineralized with nanocrystalline zeolites, a preservation mode that has not been previously reported in fossil soft tissue.

A 30,000-year-old fossil feather of a Griffon vulture preserved in volcanic rocks at the Koli-Albani Volcanic Complex in Rome, Italy. Image credit: Edoardo Terranova.

The fossil vulture was discovered in 1889 near Rome by a local landowner who recognized its incredible preservation.

The entire body was preserved as a three-dimensional impression, with fine details such as the lid of the eye and wing wings.

The new study, led by University College Cork paleontologist Valentina Rossi, shows that feather preservation extends to the pigmented structure of small microscopic feathers.

“Fossil feathers are usually preserved in ancient mudstones laid in lakes and lagoons,” Dr. Rossi said.

“Fossil vultures are preserved in ash deposits, which is very unusual.”

“When analyzing the feathers of fossil vultures, we found ourselves in unknown territory.”

“These feathers are different from what we normally see in other fossils.”

The authors discovered that feathers are preserved in mineral zeolites by analyzing small samples of fossil feathers using electron microscopy and chemical testing.

“Zeolites are silicon and aluminum rich minerals and are common in volcanic and hydrothermal geological environments,” Dr. Rossi said.

“Zeolites can be formed as primary minerals (using clean crystals) or secondary during the natural changes in volcanic glass and ash, giving rocks a mudlock-like side.”

“The changes in ashes due to the passage of water induced precipitation of zeolite nanocrystals, replicating feathers to the details of the smallest cells.”

“Fine preservation of feather structures indicates that vulture corpses were buried in cold thermal clastic matter.”

“We are used to think that volcanic deposits are associated with high temperature, fast-moving thermal breaking flows that destroy soft tissue,” says Professor Dawid Iurino of the University of Milan.

“However, these geological environments are complex and can include cold deposits that can store soft tissue at the cellular level.”

“The fossil record is constantly amazed us with new fossil species, strange new body shapes, in this case a new style of fossil preservation,” said Professor Maria McNamara, a professor of Cork at the University.

“We never found any delicate tissues, such as feathers, preserved in volcanic rocks.”

“Discoveries like these broaden the range of potential rock types that can be found in fossils.

a paper The findings were published in the journal Geological.

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Valentina Rossi et al. Fossil feathers from the Coralbani Volcanic Complex (central Italy, late Pleistocene) preserved in zeolites. GeologicalPublished online on March 18th, 2025. doi: 10.1130/g52971.1

Source: www.sci.news

New fossil findings show a variety of terrestrial ecosystems 75,000 years post-Endopermian mass extinction

Posted on March 13, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

Searching for the land refugia is essential for human survival during the hypothetical sixth mass extinction. Studying comparable crises in the past can provide insights, but there is no evidence of fossils of diverse giant fluid ecosystems that survived the most severe biological crisis of the past 540 million years. In a new study, paleontologists have investigated plant and tetrapod fossils and various microfossils in the Permian-Triassic Nantaodonggou section in Xinjiang, China. Their fossil records reveal the presence of gymnasium forests and fern fields in a vibrant area, but marine life has experienced mass extinction.

Artistic reconstruction of the end of Permian mass extinctions based on fossil parinomorphs, plants, and tetrapods, and the end of Permian mass extinctions based on sedimentary data from the Southern Jiang section of China's New Jiang. Image credit: DH Yang.

The mass extinction of Permian, which occurred about 252 million years ago, is widely recognized as the most serious of the five major plant zoic extinctions.

This catastrophic event leads to the extinction of about 80% of known species and is a fact that is well supported by marine fossil records.

Some scientists suggest that volcanic eruptions in Siberia caused widespread terrestrial destruction through wildfires, acid rain and toxic gases.

This evidence includes the continuous extinction of properties. Gigantopteris Flora in southern China Grosso Pteris Flora crossing Gondwanaland around the mass extinction of the Endopermians.

However, other scientists argue that these devastating effects are limited by latitude and atmospheric circulation.

Several fossil discoveries suggest that certain Mesozoic plants exist before extinction events, referring to uninterrupted evolution.

Newly discovered fossils from the southern taodonggou section, located in the Tapan Hami Basin in Xinjiang Province, northwestern China, offer a unique perspective.

“We further confirm that the presence of intact tree trunks and fern stems represents local vegetation rather than transported remains,” said Professor Minli Wang, a researcher at the Institute of Geology and Paleontology at the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Although some plant species have disappeared locally, researchers have found that the overall extinction rate for spores and pollen species is probably only about 21%.

This conclusion is based on the discovery of many “missing” species in the early Triassic formations elsewhere, indicating temporary migration rather than permanent extinction.

This stable vegetation base was essential for the rapid recovery of local ecosystems.

Fossil evidence shows that within just 75,000 years after the extinction ended, the region supported a diverse tetrapod, including herbivorous. lystrosaurus And carnivorous chronicers show that they can quickly return to complex food webs.

This finding contrasts with previous understanding that it took more than a million years for the ecological restoration of the Endopermians to follow the extinction.

New evidence suggests that local ecological diversity in this field has recovered more than 10 times faster than in other regions.

Scientists cited the region's stable, semi-humid climate as essential to its biological resilience. According to a Paleosol Matrix analysis, the area received consistent rainfall of approximately 1,000 mm per year during this period.

Its consistent precipitation has provided southern gu with more abundant vegetation and habitable environment than other regions following the mass extinction of Permians, providing important support for migrating migrant animals.

Despite its proximity to the volcanic activity that caused the extinction of the Endopermians, the Tarpanhami Basin provides safe shelter for terrestrial life, indicating that even seemingly dangerous places can harbor important biodiversity.

“This suggests that local climate and geographical factors create an incredible pocket of resilience and hope for conservation efforts in the face of changes in the global environment,” says Professor Feng Shui of Nanjing Geology Institute, the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

“In light of current concerns about a potential sixth large-scale extinction driven by human activity, this discovery of a “life oasis” underscores the importance of identifying and protecting such natural refsias. ”

study Published in the journal Advances in science.

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Huiping Peng et al. 2025. Refludium in the abandoned indid: Unearthing the lost flora that escaped the mass extinction of Permians. Advances in science 11 (11); doi:10.1126/sciadv.ads5614

Source: www.sci.news

Precioauro’s remarkable fossil retains its skin and scales

Posted on February 7, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

A new Pleciosaurus skeleton from Ulwerd Mushamhauf, Holzmaden, Germany

Klaus nilkens/urwelt-museum hauff

The soft tissue of the Pleciosaurus was first studied in detail, revealing that marine reptiles living in the dinosaur era and simultaneously extinct, had similar scales to modern sea turtles.

The 183 million years of 4.5 meters long Plesiosaurus fossil known as the MH7 was first excavated in 1940 from a quarry near Holzmadden, Germany, but was intended to protect it during World War II. He was buried in the museum garden. . It then spent the next 75 years in storage until it was finally assembled in 2020 and ready to study.

Miguel Marx Lund University in Sweden and his team provided thin sections of fossils. The minerals then melted and were treated with organic ruins. This allowed them to study the microscopic structure of fossil tissue.

Illustration of a plesiosaurus with smooth, unscaled skin along the scale and body on a flipper

Joshua Nuppe

Although at least eight other plesiosaurus fossils are known to have soft tissue conservation, most are historically important museum specimens and are used to study them using destructive sampling methods. It's impossible to do, says Marx. “This is the first time we have performed a detailed analysis of fossilized soft tissues from Plesiosaurus,” he says.

The team was surprised to find that the reptiles have both areas of smooth, scaly skin. “Together, this plesioaurus was an interesting chimera between a scaled green sea turtle-like thing and scale. [smooth-skinned] Leatherback turtle,” says Marx. “I would have expected this plesiosaurus to be as scaleless as modern Fischozard.”

The scaled skin of the flippers, he says, helped the plesiosaurus swim in the water, perhaps by providing stiffness, or migrated along the seabed while searching for food. Scaleless skins on the rest of the body would have reduced the impact of drag when swimming.

“The actual appearance of the long neck plesio sauce is truly everyone's guess, but thanks to this new fossil, we now have a better idea,” says Marx.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Opponent of Biology Discovers Authentic Collagen in Edmontosaurus Fossil Bones

Posted on February 3, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

The detection of soft tissues (such as proteins) in fossil bones is a growing research field, and new research, led by Liverpool University, has contributed to such discoveries. The authors use three independent analytical combinations to indicate that some dinosaur bones of collagen bones are the original fossils.

Tuinstra et al。 In order to replenish the two mass-specific (MS) technologies used, the total attenuation (ATR) -ftir and intersection polarized microscopes (Xpol), which replenish two mass spectrometics (MS) technologies. Edmont Saurus SP. Fossil bones. Image credit: Tuinstra et al。 , Doi: 10.1021/ACS.ANALCHEM.4C03115.

In their research, Professor Steve Taylor and his colleagues of Liverpool University examined the 22 kg hip bone of herbivorous dinosaurs that bred ducks. Edmont Saurus。

The specimen was excavated from the late Cretaceous band of the Helkleak layer in Harding County, South Dakota, USA.

Using advanced mass spectrometry and other technologies, old -life scholars have identified collagen remnants with fossil bones.

“This study shows that organic body molecules, such as collagen -like proteins, seem to be present in some fossils,” said Taylor.

“Our results have a wide range of meanings. First, the hypothesis that organic matters contained in fossils need to be caused from contamination.”

“Second, it suggests to reconsider the cross -polarized microscopes of fossil bones collected over the first century.”

“These images may clarify the intact patches of bone collagen, and may provide candidates for ready -made fossil candidates for further protein analysis.”

“This may release a new insight about dinosaurs. For example, we will clarify the connection between dinosaur species as it is.”

“Finally, the result of this survey tells you an interesting mystery about how these proteins have long lasted in fossils.”

“This study not only solves the scientific discussion for many years, but also has a further path to study ancient life, and can be seen on the biochemical preservation of the fossils of extinct creatures.”

Team result Published in the journal on January 17th Analytical chemistry。

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Lucien Tuinstra et al。 Evidence of endogenous collagen Edmont Saurus Fossil bones. anus. ChemistryReleased online on January 17, 2025. Doi: 10.1021/ACS.ANALCHEM.4C03115

Source: www.sci.news

Ancient mastodon fossil discovered in pristine condition in New York

Posted on December 26, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Paleontologists from the New York State Museum and New York University Orange, New York, unearthed the fossilized remains of an adult mastodon near Scotchtown, New York, USA.

A fossilized adult mastodon jaw discovered near Scotchtown, New York, USA. Image credit: New York State Museum.

mastodon any species of extinct proboscis in the genus mammut.

Although often confused with mammoths, they are more distantly related to living elephants.

These animals diverged from their elephant ancestors about 27-25 million years ago (Oligocene epoch).

They roamed widely throughout North America as well as surrounding areas such as the tropics of Honduras and the Arctic coast of Alaska until they finally became extinct about 11,000 years ago.

Currently, eight species are recognized, including the famous American mastodon (mammut americanum), widely distributed in nearly every state in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

A well-preserved jaw, part of a toe bone, and rib fragments from an adult mastodon were discovered in the backyard of a home near Scotchtown in Orange County, New York.

The fossils were recovered by a team of paleontologists from the New York State Museum and the State University of New York at Orange.

“The jaw of an adult mastodon was discovered protruding from the topsoil, drawing the attention of homeowners and sparking research that will continue to uncover scientific insights for years to come,” they said. Ta.

“The discovery began when the homeowner found two teeth hidden in the leaves of a plant on the property.”

“Upon further investigation, the homeowner unearthed two more teeth just a few inches underground.”

“This important discovery will deepen our understanding of the region's Ice Age inhabitants and highlight the wealth of prehistoric wonders yet to be discovered.”

This figure shows the reconstruction of the American mastodon (mammut americanum) top. Below is a comparison between an American mastodon and a woolly mammoth (Mammuthus primigenius). Image credit: © George 'Rinaldino' Taichmann.

“When we found the tooth and held it in our hands to examine it, we knew it was something special and decided to call in the experts,” said the resident, who had a prehistoric treasure guarded in his backyard.

“We are thrilled that our property has led to such important discoveries for the scientific community.”

“Although the jaw is the star, additional fragments of toes and ribs provide valuable context and potential for further study,” said researcher Corey Harris-Chair, Ph.D., of the State University of New York at Orange. Ta.

“We also want to further investigate the nearby area to see if there are any more preserved bones.”

More than 150 mastodon fossils have been discovered across the state, about one-third of them in Orange County, an area that remains home to ancient relatives of modern elephants. is a major hotspot.

“This discovery is evidence of New York's rich paleontological history and our continued efforts to understand its past,” said Robert Ferra, Director of Research and Collections and Curator of Ice Age Animals at the New York State Museum. Dr. Neck said.

“This mastodon jaw provides a unique opportunity to study the ecology of this amazing species and will improve our understanding of the region's ice age ecosystems.”

“Fossils are a resource that provide remarkable snapshots of the past, allowing us to reconstruct ancient ecosystems as well as gain better context and understanding of the world around us today.”

“With each discovery like this, we move one step closer to understanding the full story of New York.”

Source: www.sci.news

Earwig fossil discovered in Denmark dates back 55 million years

Posted on December 19, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Apachius Madseni This is the first fossil representative of the mysterious earwig family Apachiidae.

Apachius Madseni. Image credit: Simonsen others., doi: 10.11646/palaeoentomology.7.5.7.

The newly described species lived in what is now Europe during the early Eocene, about 55 million years ago.

with scientific name Apachius Madsenithe ancient insect was about 1.9 centimeters (0.75 inches) long.

belongs to the genus Apacius in the family Apacidaeis part of a larger insect order Dermatoptera (commonly known as earwig).

Currently, extant species of this family are found only in south-central Africa, India, Southeast Asia, and Australia.

They are generally characterized by relatively large, flat bodies and often bright colors.

“Today, the Apaceae family consists of 15 living species in two genera, 13 of which are Apacius And in two Dendroiketes) similarly Apachius Madseni'' said paleontologist Jan Audun Rasmussen of the Mors Museum.

“The current species are distributed in Central Africa (three species) and from India to the Philippines and Australia (the remaining species).”

The discovery of Apachius Madseni Therefore, we show that the range of Apacidae has expanded considerably, indicating that the current distribution of this family is not necessarily indicative of its past distribution or biogeographic origin. ”

almost completed single Apachius Madseni The fossil was discovered in a fur layer in Mors, northwestern Denmark.

“This fossil is the second species of Dermatoptera to be described from the fur layer, and the first representative of the enigmatic Apacidae,” the paleontologists said.

According to the authors, this formation's diatomaceous clay deposits formed the seafloor of northwestern Denmark during the early Eocene, when Denmark was completely covered by sea.

Because modern members of the Apaceae family live under the bark of trees, they believe that: Apachius Madseni It was carried to the sea covered in the bark of a tree trunk that is thought to have drifted ashore from Sweden or Norway about 55 million years ago.

“It's no surprise that we found the ancestor of this tropical and subtropical earwig family so far north as Denmark,” Dr. Rasmussen said.

“55 million years ago, the ocean that covered what is now Denmark was subtropical to almost tropical, as evidenced by the fish, bird, insect, and plant fossils found in ancient seafloor deposits on the islands of Mors and Fir. It is reflected.”

of findings appear in the diary paleoentomology.

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Thomas J. Simonsen others. 2024. Apachius Madseni (Dermoptera: Apacidae) sp. November discovery in the Ypresian fur layer in Denmark: the first fossil record of the mysterious earwig family Apacidae. paleoentomology 007 (5): 638-644;doi: 10.11646/Paleoentomology.7.5.7

Source: www.sci.news

Entire Mastodon Jaw Fossil Discovered in New York Backyard

Posted on December 18, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

A momentous (or more accurately prehistoric) finding was unearthed just below the Earth’s surface on a New York homeowner’s lawn.

A full mastodon jaw was found in the backyard of a house in Scotchtown, a town in Orange County, as confirmed by state officials. The New York State Museum and the State University of New York at Orange researchers retrieved the jaw and additional bone fragments, as announced by the state Department of Education in a press release on Tuesday.

It has been over 11 years since a discovery of this kind has been made in New York.

The mastodon jaw, presumed to belong to an adult, was discovered by researchers after a homeowner noticed it surfacing on his lawn. Initially, the homeowner found two teeth hidden in plants on the property, and after some digging, two more teeth were discovered.

“Upon finding the tooth and examining it closely, we knew it was unique and decided to seek out an expert,” stated the homeowner.

Following this, museum and university staff conducted an excavation that led to the unveiling of the well-preserved jaw of a mastodon, an ancient relative of present-day elephants. Additionally, part of a toe bone and rib fragments were found.

Mastodon jaw unearthed in backyard in Scotchtown, New York new york state museum

“Though the jaw is the highlight, the additional toe and rib fragments provide valuable context and possibilities for further research,” said Dr. Corey Harris, chair of the Department of Behavioral Sciences at New York University at Orange. “We are also keen on exploring the surrounding area to look for more preserved bones.”

The fossil will undergo carbon dating and analysis to determine the mammal’s time of existence in the area, its dietary habits, and habitat details. The discovery will be showcased on public television as of 2025 and is expected to be featured in magazines.

“This finding proves New York’s rich paleontological history and our persistent efforts to understand the past,” said Robert Ferra, Director of Research and Collections and Curator of Ice Age Animals at the New York State Museum. Dr. Neck mentioned, “This mastodon jaw offers a unique chance to study the ecology of this extraordinary species and enhance our comprehension of the ice age ecosystems in the region.”

To date, approximately 150 mastodon fossils have been found in New York, with about one-third of them located in Orange County.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

New fossil discovery suggests that Therapsids originated in the tropics, not temperate regions

Posted on December 17, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Paleontologists have discovered a new species of early gorgonopsian therapsid that was part of the ancient summer humid biome of equatorial Pangea.

Recreating the life of the Gorgonopsians of Mallorca in a floodplain environment. Image credit: Henry Sutherland Sharpe.

Therapsids were a major component of Permian terrestrial ecosystems around the world, eventually giving rise to mammals in the early Mesozoic Era.

However, little is currently known about when and where it originated.

“Therapsids are a diverse and ecologically successful clade of tetrapods, of which the modern representatives are mammals,” says paleontologist at the Museum of Science and Nature in Barea and the Paleontological Institute of Catalonia. said Dr. Rafel Matamares and colleagues.

“The roots of this clade date back to the late Paleozoic era, when non-mammalian therapsids were important components of terrestrial ecosystems.”

“The oldest distinct therapsids known to date were Laranimus dashankoensisprobably from the Rhodian (Late Middle Permian) deposits of Central East Asia.

“However, phylogenetic analyzes consistently show that therapsids are a sister group to the pterosaur ‘perisaurian’ class monoapsids, which originated in Pennsylvania (about 320 million years ago). It suggests that

“This implies a long lineage of therapsid ghosts spanning about 40 million years.”

The newly discovered therapsid is the oldest of its kind, and possibly the oldest therapsid ever discovered.

This dog-like saber-toothed animal does not yet have a species name, but it belongs to a group of therapsids called gorgonopsids.

“Gorgonopsids are more closely related to mammals than to other modern animals,” said Dr. Ken Angielczyk, a paleontologist at the Field Museum.

“They have no modern descendants and are not our direct ancestors, but they are related to species that were our direct ancestors.”

“The oldest known gorgonopsids lived about 265 million years ago, but the newer fossils date from 270 to 280 million years ago.”

“This is probably the oldest chrysophyte on Earth,” said Dr. Josep Fortuny, a paleontologist at the Miquel Crusafont Catalan Institute of Paleontology.

This fossil was discovered on the Spanish island of Mallorca in the Mediterranean Sea. However, during the time of the Gorgonopsians, Mallorca was part of the supercontinent Pangea.

“The amount of bone remains is surprising,” Dr. Matamares said.

“We found everything from fragments of skulls, vertebrae and ribs to a very well-preserved femur.”

“In fact, when we started this excavation, we did not expect to find so many fossils of this type of animal in Mallorca.”

“If you saw this animal walking down the street, you would think it would look a little like a medium-sized dog, maybe about the size of a husky, but that’s not entirely true,” says Dr. Angielczyk.

“It didn’t have any fur, and it probably didn’t have dog ears.”

“But this is the oldest animal with long, blade-like canine teeth that scientists have ever discovered.”

“These saber-like teeth suggest that this gorgonopsid was the top predator of its time.”

The fact that this gorgonopsian is tens of millions of years older than its closest relatives has changed scientists’ understanding of the evolutionary time of therapsids, key milestones to the emergence of mammals, and, by extension, where we came from. It tells us something about Tanoka.

“Before the age of dinosaurs, there was the age of our ancient mammalian relatives,” Dr. Angielczyk said.

“Most of those ancient mammal relatives looked nothing like what we think of as mammals today.”

“But they were really diverse and had different ecological roles.”

“This new fossil discovery is another piece of the puzzle of how mammals evolved.”

This finding is reported in the following article: paper Published in a magazine nature communications.

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R. Matamares-Andrew others. 2024. Early-Middle Permian Mediterranean gorgonopsids suggest an equatorial origin for therapsids. Nat Commune 15, 10346; doi: 10.1038/s41467-024-54425-5

Source: www.sci.news

Ancient Ichthyosaur Fossil, 98 Million Years Old, Unearthed in New Zealand

Posted on December 10, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

New Zealand paleontologists have discovered a partial skeleton. platypterygoid ichthyosaur It dates back to the Cretaceous period.

a pair of Platypterygius sp. Image credit: Dmitry Bogdanov / CC BY 3.0.

“Ichthyosaurs are a clade of secondary aquatic marine reptiles that lived in the oceans for much of the Mesozoic, first appearing in the Early Triassic and eventually becoming part of the Cenomanian.'' It became extinct at the Turonian border.”

“Cretaceous ichthyosaurs were once thought to be a group with low diversity and disparity, the result of a long-term decline since the Jurassic.”

“However, recent studies have produced a growing body of evidence that Cretaceous ichthyosaurs were much more diverse than previously thought.”

“Ichthyosaur fossils were first recorded in New Zealand by von Haast in 1861 from Pott Mountain in the central South Island,” they added.

“Over the next 150 years, ichthyosaur fossil material was recovered from the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous periods.”

The new New Zealand ichthyosaur was discovered in the Coverham area at the northern end of the Waiau Toa/Clarence Valley.

The specimen is a disarticulated partial skeleton preserved in a tubercle.

Its origins date back to 98 million years ago during the Cretaceous period, about 4 million years before ichthyosaurs finally became extinct.

“This material comes from the condensate that was discovered.” on site “It lies within the Swale Silt Formation of the Split Rock Formation, a siliciclastic unit deposited during the Cenomanian period and found throughout southern Marlborough and northernmost Canterbury on New Zealand's South Island,” the paleontologists said.

“All Cretaceous ichthyosaur material ever described in New Zealand comes from the North Island.”

This specimen is the most completely preserved ichthyosaur known from New Zealand.

It has a well-preserved pelvis and dorsal fin, adding to the known data set of these elements, which are poorly preserved in Cretaceous species.

“Although the specimen is too fragmentary to be formally named, this taxon has an extremely reduced basioccipital extracondylar area, a scapula with a prominent acromion process and a strap-like scapular shaft, and A complete left pelvic girdle with an elongated depression “located on the anteroproximal aspect of the ischium” is shown, the researchers said.

They suggest that it is a late-diverging member of the platypterygian ichthyosaurs and is closely related to East Gondwanan species. Platypterygius australis and many European Cretaceous ichthyosaurs.

However, it appears to be unrelated to the Cretaceous ichthyosaurs of western Gondwana, suggesting potential regionalism in the Cretaceous ichthyosaur populations of Gondwana.

“New Zealand ichthyosaurs add to the known diversity of Gondwanan-Cretaceous ichthyosaurs, and suggest that ichthyosaur populations were distributed regionally, rather than internationally, near the margins of Cretaceous Gondwana. “This may indicate that,” the scientists concluded.

of findings will appear in Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology.

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George R.A. Young others. A platyptera ichthyosaur from the Cenomanian region of central New Zealand. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontologypublished online October 30, 2024. doi: 10.1080/02724634.2024.2408391

Source: www.sci.news

New study proposes Neanderthals were the original fossil collectors

Posted on December 3, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Approximately 46,000 years ago, a group of Neanderthals resided in caves in what is now Spain and gathered fossils, as reported by a researcher in a paper published in the magazine Quaternary period.

Marine fossils from the Prado Vargas Cave, Spain. Image credit: Lewis others., doi: 10.3390/quat7040049.

Collecting is a form of leisure, even a passion, involving the collection, preservation, and display of objects.

When tracing its origins in literature, we are reminded of the Assyrian king Ashurbanipal (7th century BC) known for collecting books, marking the emergence of writing and the dissemination of knowledge on clay tablets.

This innate curiosity and interest in collecting stones and fossils, known as manuports, dates back to the dawn of humanity.

Archaeologists have long known that Neanderthal dwellings contained objects devoid of practical value, indicating a cultural significance attached to these items.

In the case of the Prado Vargas Cave in Cornejo, Burgos, Spain, archaeologist Marta Navazo Ruiz and her team unearthed 15 marine fossils from the Late Cretaceous period in the cave’s Mousterian level.

The fossils, primarily mollusks and a few echinoderms, hinted at a deliberate collection rather than accidental gathering by the Neanderthals.

The presence of these fossils within the cave suggests intentional behavior, possibly for social or symbolic purposes.

The researchers proposed hypotheses ranging from aesthetic appreciation to cultural identity reinforcement through these fossil collections.

This discovery elevates the Prado Vargas Neanderthals as early fossil collectors, shedding light on their efforts towards understanding and preserving natural history.

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Marta Navazo Ruiz others. 2024. Were Neanderthals the first collectors? First evidence found in level 4 of the Prado Vargas cave in Cornejo, Burgos, Spain. Quaternary period 7(4):49;doi: 10.3390/quat7040049

Source: www.sci.news

A new species of armadillo fossil unearthed in Brazil

Posted on December 3, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Paleontologists identify new species of extinct armadillo Partetus From fossilized bone embryos collected in the state of Paraná in southern Brazil.

Hypothetical artistic reconstruction Partetus Oliveirai Middle to late Eocene of Brazil. Image credit: Marcio L. Castro.

Partetus Oliveirai It lived in South America from 42 million years ago to 39 million years ago (mid-late Eocene).

The ancient species belongs to Euphractinae group of armadillo family Dasipidae.

Paleontologist Tabata Klimek of Santa Federal University and his colleagues said, “The armadillo family is represented by modern armadillos and extinct armadillos.''

“This group is stratigraphically and geographically widespread, from southern Patagonia to southern North America.”

“The paleontological record of armadillos is represented primarily by osteoderms.”

“According to other interpretations, they are known from nearly all South American mammal faunas from the late Paleocene/early Eocene, or only from the early Eocene.”

“Euphractinae is the most diverse clade (subfamily) of Dasypodidae,” they noted.

“The earliest undisputed occurrences of euphractin date back to the mid-to-late Eocene of the Gran Barranca region of Argentine Patagonia and the mid-Eocene Upper Lumbrella Formation of northwestern Argentina.”

“Partetus “It is one of the earliest branching euphractins,” they added.

“The genus was described in 1902 and the type species is Partetus chicoensis I'm from Patagonia, Argentina. ”

8 bone embryo fossils Partetus Oliveirai It was discovered in the Guavirotuba Formation in Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil.

“The Guavilotuba Formation is the main lithostratigraphic unit of the Curitiba sedimentary basin,” the paleontologists said.

“It is represented by distributed fluvial system deposits consisting of immature subalcoholic sand and mud interspersed with limited gravel deposits at the edges of the basin.”

“Geological features indicate a semi-arid environment, with temporary rivers forming during the rainy season, transporting sediment and forming alluvial fans.”

This new species expands our knowledge of the diversity of armadillos, which lived in southeastern South America during the Paleogene period.

“Partetus OliveiraiThe osteoderm differs from other species of this genus in the following ways: (i) More surface glandular and ciliary pores. (ii) flat surface joint areas between osteoderms; There is no groove in the central part of the osteoderm. (iii) large size,” the researchers said.

“Combined, this set of traits does not exist in any other species. Partetus Genus. ”

“The increase in the number and size of surface glandular and ciliary pores may be related to the global cooling that occurred during the mid-to-late Eocene, which affected South American faunas. .”

“Finally, this new species expands our knowledge of the lesser-known diversity of mammals that lived in southeastern South America during the Eocene.”

of findings Published in Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology.

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TDF Klimek others. 2024. Uncovering the diversity of Paleogene zonal fauna from Brazil: new species Partetus (Euphractinae) Guavilotuba Formation (Middle to Late Eocene). Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 44 (1): e2403581;doi: 10.1080/02724634.2024.2403581

Source: www.sci.news

Enantiornis fossil from 80 million years ago connects Archeopteryx to modern birds

Posted on November 14, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Paleontologists have unearthed the exquisitely preserved remains of a Cretaceous enantiornithine bird in São Paulo state in southeastern Brazil. The skull’s extraordinary three-dimensional preservation allowed researchers to digitally reconstruct the bird’s brain.

Artist’s impression Nabaornis Hestia. Image credit: Júlia D’Oliveira.

The newly identified Enantiornithine species They lived in what is now Brazil about 80 million years ago (late Cretaceous period).

with scientific name Nabaornis Hestiathe ancient bird was about the same size as a starling.

This species had a larger cerebrum Archeopteryxsuggesting that they had more advanced cognitive abilities than early bird-like dinosaurs.

However, most regions of the brain, such as the cerebellum, are underdeveloped, suggesting that the complex flight control mechanisms of modern birds have not yet evolved.

“The structure of the brain is Nabaornis Hestia almost exactly in between Archeopteryx Dr Guillermo Navarone, a researcher at the University of Cambridge, says:

Fossilized remains are Nabaornis Hestia It was recovered in 2016 from the local Williams Quarry in Presidente Prudente, part of Brazil’s Adamantina Formation.

Tens of millions of years ago, the site was probably an arid region with slow-flowing streams, allowing for the impressive preservation of fossils.

The extraordinary three-dimensional preservation has allowed paleontologists to use advanced micro-CT scanning techniques to reconstruct the toothless, large-eyed bird’s skull and brain in stunning detail.

fossilized skeleton Nabaornis Hestia. Image credit: Stephanie Abramowitz.

“This fossil is truly one of a kind and I was in awe from the moment I first saw it to the moment I finished assembling the skull and brain. “You can fully understand the scientific structure,” Dr. Navarone said.

Professor Daniel Field from the University of Cambridge added: “Modern birds have some of the most sophisticated cognitive abilities in the animal kingdom, rivaled only by mammals.”

“However, scientists have struggled to understand when and how birds’ unique brains and remarkable intelligence evolved. The field is looking forward to discovering fossils just like this one. I’ve been waiting for it.”

On the other hand, the skull Nabaornis Hestia At first glance, it resembles a small pigeon, but upon closer inspection, it turns out that it is not a modern bird at all, but a member of the “opposite birds”, or “opposite birds”.

Birds of the order Enantiornithiformes, which diverged from modern birds more than 130 million years ago, have complex feathers and are thought to have been able to fly as competently as modern birds. .

However, the anatomical structure of the brain Nabaornis Hestia This raises new questions: How does enantiornithine behave without a range of brain features observed in living birds, including an enlarged cerebellum, which is a spatial control center in living birds? Did they control the flight?

“This fossil represents a species at an intermediate point in the evolutionary process of bird cognition,” Professor Field said.

“The cognitive ability is Nabaornis Hestia They may have had an advantage in finding food and shelter, and were capable of elaborate mating displays and other complex social behaviors. ”

“This discovery shows that some of the birds that flew above the dinosaurs already had fully modern skull shapes more than 80 million years ago,” Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County said. said researcher Dr. Luis Chiappe.

This finding is reported in the following article: paper in a diary nature.

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LM Chiappe others. 2024. Cretaceous birds from Brazil tell the story of the evolution of bird skulls and brains. nature 635, 376-381; doi: 10.1038/s41586-024-08114-4

Source: www.sci.news

Record high CO2 emissions driven by drought, fires, and use of fossil fuels

Posted on November 13, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Wildfires in the tropics caused a slight increase in CO2 emissions, but most of that was due to burning fossil fuels

Carl De Souza/AFP/Getty Images

Carbon dioxide emissions from burning fossil fuels in 2024 are expected to exceed last year's record levels, dashing hopes that global warming emissions will peak this year.

“Reducing emissions is more urgent than ever, and the only way to do that is by significantly reducing fossil fuel emissions,” he said. Pierre Friedlingstein At the University of Exeter, UK.

This is according to the latest global carbon budget. reporta preliminary calculation of CO2 emissions to date, including projections until the end of the year, prepared by Friedlingstein and his colleagues. The announcement was made at the ongoing COP29 summit in Azerbaijan, where countries aim to set new fiscal targets to combat climate change.

Last year, some researchers predicted a peak in emissions in 2024, but the report found that anthropogenic CO2 emissions would reach a record high of 41.6 gigatonnes in 2024, up 2% from the 2023 record. It has been revealed that the number is expected to increase. Almost 90% of that total is made up of emissions from fossil fuel combustion. The remainder is primarily due to land changes caused by deforestation and wildfires.

Fossil fuel emissions will grow at 0.8 percent, half as much as in 2023, but still higher than the average growth rate over the past decade. “[The slower rate] This is a good sign, but we are still miles away from reaching our goal,” says Friedlingstein.

Despite a long-term downward trend, projected emissions from land-use change also increased this year, mainly due to drought-induced wildfires in the tropics. Part of this increase is also due to the collapse of terrestrial sinks of carbon in 2023, which typically removes about a quarter of annual CO2 emissions from the atmosphere. This absorption decreased by more than 40 percent last year and in early 2024 as global temperatures soared due to El Niño.

“2023 is an amazing demonstration of what can happen in a warmer world when El Niño droughts and fires combine to create record global temperatures,” he says. pep canadel He is a researcher at Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Agency and co-author of this report. “Taken all together, the world's forests contributed almost a third less carbon dioxide from the atmosphere last year than they did in the previous decade.”

This will also increase emissions in 2024, but researchers expect this “land carbon sink” to largely recover as the warming effects of El Niño fade. “This is not a long-term collapse,” Friedlingstein says.

The report reveals that China's CO2 emissions, which emit almost a third of the world's total emissions, are projected to increase by only 0.2% in 2024 compared to 2023. . Canadel said this forecast of China's emissions has a large margin of error, so they may actually be stable or even declining. India's emissions have also slowed down from last year, increasing by just under 5%. In the US and EU, emissions continued to decline, albeit at a much slower pace than last year.

Increased demand for electricity to power air conditioners due to higher temperatures is also a key reason why fossil fuel emissions will continue to rise despite a massive build-up of renewable energy in 2024. He says: Neil Grant At the German think tank Climate Analytics. Whether it's from electric vehicles, data centers or manufacturing, “most people seem to be a little surprised by the level of electricity demand this year,” he says.

If emissions continue at this level, the world will exceed its carbon budget to limit warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels within six years, and exceed its budget to limit warming to 2°C within 27 years, the report says. Pointed out. .

“We have to accelerate, accelerate, accelerate, accelerate the transition to renewable energy,” Candell said. “Climate change is like a slippery slope and we can keep falling. We need to slam on the brakes as hard as we can to avoid falling.”

topic:

Source: www.newscientist.com

Colombia Unearths Fossil of Enormous Bird of Prey

Posted on November 4, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Paleontologists have unearthed and examined the fossilized foot bones of a Phorsulaceae bird that lived in South America 12 million years ago.

model of parafisolnis At the Vienna Natural History Museum. Image credit: Armin Reindl / CC BY-SA 4.0.

Terrorbird is a member of Forsulaceae a family of large carnivorous flightless birds in the order Calliamales.

These extinct birds were very large, weighing up to 70 kg and measuring 0.9 to 2 m (3 to 6.6 ft) in height.

They had slender bodies and unique motor adaptations for moving around.

Their huge beaks and mechanical adaptations of the skull suggest that they were efficient predators.

They lived in South America during the Cenozoic era, but are also known from the Pliocene-Pleistocene of North America and the Eocene of Africa.

Phorsuracidae includes nearly 20 species in 14 genera and 5 subfamilies (Brontornithidae, Mesembriornithidae, Patagornithidae, Phorsuracidae, and Psilopterinidae).

The closest living relative is believed to be Selimas, the only survivor of the family. Cariamydae.

Dr. Siobhan Cooke, a researcher at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, said: “Fearbirds lived on the ground, had limbs adapted for running, and fed primarily on other animals.”

The end of the left tibiotarsus of a fear bird found in Colombia's Tatacoa Desert. Image credit: Degrange others., doi: 10.1002/spp2.1601.

In the 2000s, fossilized leg bones of the feared bird were discovered in the fossil-rich area. Tatacoa desert In Colombia.

The fossil dates back to the Miocene epoch, about 12 million years ago, and is thought to be the northernmost evidence of a fear bird in South America to date.

“The size of the bones indicates that this fearsome bird may be the largest species identified to date, approximately 5-20% larger than any known Phorsulaceae.” said Dr. Cook.

“Previously discovered fossils indicate that the size of the feared bird species ranged from 0.9 to 2.7 meters (3 to 9 feet) tall.”

The fossil probably has tooth marks, such as: Purusaurusan extinct species of caiman thought to have been up to 9 meters (30 feet) long.

“Given the size of the crocodile 12 million years ago, we believe this fearsome bird may have died from its injuries,” Dr Cook said.

This fearsome bird also coexisted with primates, ungulate mammals, giant sloths, and glyptodonts, car-sized relatives of armadillos.

“This is a different kind of ecosystem than what we see today and what we saw in other parts of the world in the era before South and North America connected,” Dr. Cook said.

team's paper be published in a magazine paleontology papers.

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Federico Javier Desgrange others. 2024. A new species of gigantic fear bird (Caryamiformes, Phorsulaceae) from the mid-Miocene tropical environment of La Venta, northern South America. paleontology papers 10 (6): e1601;doi: 10.1002/spp2.1601

Source: www.sci.news

Oldest known tadpole fossil dates back 161 million years

Posted on November 1, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Paleontologists have discovered the well-preserved fossilized remains of an early anuran tadpole. Notobatrachus degiustoi At Estancia La Matilde in Patagonia, Argentina.

Reproducing the lives of tadpoles and adults Notobatrachus degiustoi. Image credit: Gabriel Rio.

Frogs and toads belong to a group of tailless amphibians called anurans.

They are characterized by a biphasic life cycle, with an aquatic larval (tadpole) stage followed by an adult (frog) stage.

Adult anurans remain in the fossil record until the late Triassic period (approximately 217 to 213 million years ago), but tadpoles have not been recorded before the Cretaceous period (approximately 145 million years ago). Not yet.

“Tadpoles are free-living, non-reproductive anuran aquatic larvae that undergo morphological and ecological changes over a short period of time before reaching the adult reproductive stage. “We need to go through a metamorphosis stage that involves profound changes in our lives.” And her colleagues.

“This rapid metamorphosis in anurans is the most extreme among extant tetrapods, with tadpoles representing a highly derived larval stage.”

The authors examined well-preserved tadpole fossils. Notobatrachus degiustoi from Formation of La Matilde In Patagonia.

This giant anuran lived during the Middle Jurassic Period, 168 to 161 million years ago.

This species is also represented by a large number of excellently preserved adult specimens from the same locality.

Notobatrachus degiustoi Tadpole. Image credit: Chubar others., doi: 10.1038/s41586-024-08055-y.

According to the team, the tadpoles Notobatrachus degiustoi It was almost 16 centimeters (6.3 inches) long.

The head, most of the body, and part of the tail were visible, as were the eyes, nerves, and forelimbs, suggesting that the tadpole was in a later stage of metamorphosis.

Together, they show that key traits of today’s tadpoles, such as filter-feeding systems, had already evolved in early anurans about 161 million years ago.

“The exquisite preservation of the tadpole, including its soft tissues, shows features related to the filter-feeding mechanism characteristic of living tadpoles,” the researchers said.

“What is noteworthy is that both Notobatrachus degiustoi Tadpoles and adults reached large sizes, proving that tadpole gigantism occurred among stalked anurans. “

“This new discovery suggests that a biphasic life cycle in which filter-feeding tadpoles live in aquatic, ephemeral environments was already present in the early evolutionary history of sessile anurans, and that at least 161 million It has been shown to remain stable over the years.”

of findings Published in this week’s magazine nature.

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M. Chubar others. The oldest tadpoles reveal the evolutionary stability of anuran life cycles. naturepublished online October 30, 2024. doi: 10.1038/s41586-024-08055-y

Source: www.sci.news

Science discovers oldest known tadpole fossil dating back 161 million years.

Posted on October 31, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Scientists discovered fossils in Argentina’s Santa Cruz province

Mariana Chubar et al., Journal (2024)

The beautifully preserved fossilized tadpoles are the oldest discovered by science, dating back 161 million years, and their anatomy is strikingly similar to some of today’s species. I am.

Paleontologists discovered the fossil in January 2020 while searching for feathered dinosaurs in Argentina’s Santa Cruz province.

“They missed the mark,” says Mariana Churivar of Universidad Maimonides in Buenos Aires, Argentina. “But after many days of digging, one of our team members discovered a stone with a special signature: a fossilized tadpole.”

Chubar and her colleagues have now identified this tadpole as belonging to an extinct frog species. Notobatrachus degiustoiwas deciphered from hundreds of adult specimens discovered in the same fossil deposit since 1957.

Until now, scientists had never unearthed tadpole fossils from before the Cretaceous period, which began about 145 million years ago. This specimen is also the first fossil tadpole from an early frog lineage known as stalk anurans, which is older than modern species known as crown anurans.

This fossil is very well preserved, with eyes and nerves visible in the head, forelimbs, and part of the tail. The researchers estimate that it was about 16 centimeters long, comparable to the largest tadpole in existence today.

The part of the skeleton that supports the gills suggests that the specialized filter-feeding anatomy of modern tadpoles had already evolved in this fossilized tadpole, Chubar said.

The similarities between ancient and modern tadpoles are so great that the researchers were even able to determine the developmental stage in the fossils, concluding that they were just about to undergo metamorphosis into frogs.

Illustration of tadpoles and adults of the species Notabatrachus degiustoi

Gabriel Rio

Earth’s warm, humid climate in the past, combined with the lack of competition and predation from other frog species and fish, may have made it easier for tadpoles to grow large, Chubar said.

Jody Lowry The Australian Museum in Sydney said the discovery of the oldest known tadpole “confirms how successful and stable the ‘typical’ frog life cycle we all learn about in school is.”

The size of the tadpoles tells us a lot about the habitat in which frogs evolved more than 160 million years ago, a water-rich environment with few predators or competitors, she says. “This is something modern frog species can only dream of.”

topic:

Source: www.newscientist.com

UK uncovers ancient cockroach fossil from 180 million years ago

Posted on October 29, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Paleontologists have described a new genus and species of Jurassic cockroach. alderblattina simsibased on an isolated wing discovered in Gloucestershire, England.

alderblattina simsi:(A) Dried specimen. (B) Specimen moistened with ethanol. Note the two subspherical spots (spots) on the wing tips and the prominent distal coloration. Scale bar – 1 mm. Image credit: Swaby others., doi: 10.1002/spp2.1598.

Open University palaeontologist Emily Swaby and colleagues from the Open University and National Museums of Scotland said: “Insects are the most diverse group of terrestrial organisms in the history of life, and have been fundamental to terrestrial ecosystems since the early Devonian period. It has become a major component.”

“Primarily detritivores (decomposers), cockroaches play an important role in nutrient cycling in ecosystems through the decomposition of organic matter and are an important food source for many predators, including birds, lizards, and other mammals. ”

“cockroach(Brat Dare) They are part of the superorder Diptera, beginning in the Bashkirian period (Carboniferous) and diversifying rapidly during the second half of the Moscow period and the penultimate Kasimov period of the Carboniferous period. ”

“Further diversification occurred during the Early and Middle Permian.”

“After the mass extinction at the end of the Permian period, cockroach numbers declined sharply, but they flourished again during the Triassic period.”

The newly described cockroach species lived during the Toarcian period of the Early Jurassic period, about 180 million years ago.

named alderblattina simsihad a relatively small size and distinct wing coloration.

“Color patterns in insects, including their wings, are interpreted to be primarily physiological adaptations, thought to be used to protect against predation and sexual signaling,” the paleontologists say. said.

“Today, cockroach species display a wide variety of color patterns, and their functions include communication, protection from predation, sexual signaling, and hardening of the epidermis.”

“alderblattina simsi It is the second cockroach species to have a distinct Toarcian wing coloration pattern. ”

assigned author alderblattina simsi It belongs to the cockroach family Rhipidoblattinidae.

“Alderblattina Shimshi “The presence of two distinct spherical spots on the forewings and the coloration of the wing tips are very different from all other Jurassic cockroaches,” the researchers said.

of Alderblattina Shimshi The fossil was collected by geologists in January 1984 Mike J. Sims.

The specimen was taken from Alderton Hill. whitby mudstone formation.

“We hypothesize that extreme environmental conditions are associated with this problem. Toarcian ocean anoxic phenomenon “Competition for resources and evolutionary changes in predators were promoted, resulting in the development of apothematic coloration in two insect orders at this time,” the researchers said.

“Alderblattina Shimshi This is the seventh valid member of the European Toalchian cockroach family and adds to our knowledge of the European Toalkian cockroach fauna. ”

“This unique specimen adds significance to the record of Mesozoic cockroach wing color patterns and provides important evidence to further understand the evolution of terminal color patterns in the suborder Cockroaches. ”

a paper The survey results were published in a magazine paleontology papers.

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Emily J. Swaby others. 2024. A new species of cockroach (Rhipidoblattinidae) that lived in the Toarcian (Late Jurassic period) of Alderton Hill, Gloucestershire, England. It is likely that aposematic coloration was the earliest to occur in cockroaches. paleontology papers 10 (5): e1598;doi: 10.1002/spp2.1598

Source: www.sci.news

Fossil of a large Metatherian mammal discovered in Colorado

Posted on October 25, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Paleontologists have recovered a fossilized jaw fragment and three isolated bones from a relatively large (by Late Cretaceous standards) new species of Metatheria in the Williams Fork Formation of northwestern Colorado, USA. Found a tooth.

artist’s depiction Heleochora piceanus In a Late Cretaceous wetland. Image credit: Brian Engh / LivingRelicProductions.com / Utah Natural History Field House.

” Metatheria “[Marsupials and their closest fossil relatives]consist of about 330 extant species in seven orders, most of which live in the Southern Hemisphere,” said Jaylin Eberle, a professor at the University of Colorado Boulder. said.

“However, this clade appears to have originated in the Northern Hemisphere during the Early Cretaceous.”

“By the end of the Cretaceous period, Metatheria had dispersed across Europe, Asia, and North America, and were more diverse and numerous than their contemporaneous eutherians.”

“Most of the Late Cretaceous Metatheria species are represented almost exclusively by isolated teeth and jaws recovered from fossil localities in the interior western United States.”

The fossilized remains of a new species of Metatherian have been discovered. williams fork formation It is located in Douglas Creek Arch between the Uintah and Piance Creek basins in northwestern Colorado.

named Heleochora piceanusThis animal lived approximately 70 to 75 million years ago (late Cretaceous period), a time when a vast inland sea covered much of the American West.

Weighing about 1 kg (2 lb), it was larger than most Late Cretaceous mammals.

Based on the tooth, Heleochora piceanus They probably ate plants mixed with insects and other small animals.

It coexisted with creatures such as turtles, duck-billed dinosaurs, and giant crocodiles.

“This area could have been similar to Louisiana,” says Dr. Rebecca Hunt-Foster, a paleontologist at Dinosaur National Monument.

“We see a lot of animals like sharks, rays and guitarfish that are very happy in the water.”

“Colorado is a great place to find fossils, but mammals from this era tend to be quite rare,” Eberle says.

“So it’s really amazing to see this piece of time preserved in Colorado.”

“Compared to much larger dinosaurs that lived at the time, such as Tyrannosaurus and its horned ancestors, triceratopsColorado’s newest fossil addition may seem small and insignificant. However, it was surprisingly large for a mammal of its time. ”

This finding is reported in the following article: paper in a diary PLoS ONE.

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J. Hebert others. 2024. A new Late Cretaceous Metatherian discovered from the Williams Fork Formation in Colorado. PLoS ONE 19 (10): e0310948;doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0310948

Source: www.sci.news

Ancient Winged Seed Fossil Unearthed in China, Dating Back 365 Million Years

Posted on October 10, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

named Arasemenia triaa new specimen from the Wutong Formation in China's Anhui Province, dates to the Famennian period of the Late Devonian, making it the second oldest known winged seed.

fertile branches and seeds Arasemenia tria. Image credit: Wang others., doi: 10.7554/eLife.92962.3.

Many plants require seeds to reproduce. Seeds come in all shapes and sizes and often have additional features that help them disperse throughout the environment.

For example, some seeds develop wings from the seed coat as the outer layer. This is similar to the fruit of the plane tree, which has two wings that help it glide on the wind.

The first seeds are thought to have evolved during the Famennian period, between 372 and 359 million years ago.

According to the fossil record, almost all of these seeds were surrounded by additional protective structures known as couples and were wingless.

To date, only two groups of Famennia seeds have been reported to have wings or wing-like structures, and one group lacked couples.

“The oldest known plant seeds date back to the late Devonian period,” said Professor Deming Wang of Peking University.

“This period marks an important evolutionary milestone in plant history, as it transitioned from spore-based reproduction like ferns and mosses to seed-based reproduction.”

“However, little is known about wind dispersal of seeds during this period, as most fossils lack wings and are usually surrounded by a protective copple.”

Professor Wang and colleagues examined fossils of Famennian seed plants collected in China's Anhui province.

assigned to a new genus and species; Arasemenia triathe seeds are about 2.5-3.3 cm long and, unlike most other seeds of this era, clearly lack a cupple.

“In fact, this is one of the oldest known records of coppleless seeds, 40 million years earlier than previously thought,” the paleontologists said.

“Each seed is covered by a layer of integument, or seed coat, which radiates outward to form three wing-like leaves.”

“These wings tapered toward the tip and curved outward, creating a wide, flat structure that helped the seeds catch the wind.”

The researchers then compared Arasemenia tria Other known winged seeds from the Late Devonian: Warstenia and guasia.

Both of these seeds have four wings — guasiais wide and flat; WarsteniaIt's short and straight.

Scientists performed quantitative mathematical analysis to determine which seeds are most effective for wind dispersal.

This reveals that it has an odd number of wings, as follows: Arasemenia triaa more stable and high rotation speed is obtained when the seeds descend from the branches, and the seeds can catch the wind more effectively and disperse further from the parent plant.

“Our findings are Arasemenia tria This further deepens our knowledge about the origins of wind-driven dispersal strategies in early land plants,” said Dr. Pu Fan, a researcher at the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Paleontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences.

“When combined with previous knowledge, guasia and WarsteiniaWe conclude that winged seeds as a result of integument elongation emerged as the first form of wind dispersal strategy in the Late Devonian, prior to other methods such as parachutes and plumes. ”

“The three-winged seed found in” Arasemenia tria “During the late Devonian period, double-winged seeds would have appeared in the Carboniferous period, and single-winged seeds would have appeared in the Permian period,” Professor Wang added.

of study Published in a magazine e-life.

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Deming Wang others. 2024. Arasemeniathe earliest ovule with three wings and no cup. e-life 13:RP92962;doi: 10.7554/eLife.92962.3

Source: www.sci.news

Ancient coelacanth fossil from the Devonian era discovered in Australia

Posted on September 13, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Living Coelacanth Latimeria Coelacanths are iconic “living fossils,” one of the most conservative groups of vertebrates. Now, paleontologists have described a new species of primitive coelacanth from fossils discovered in the Late Devonian Gogo Formation of Western Australia. Ngamgawi WirungariThe 375-million-year-old fossil fish fills an important transitional period in the differentiation and evolution of coelacanths.

Reconstructing your life Ngamgawi WirungariImage courtesy of Katrina Kenny.

coelacanth It is an evolutionarily unique lobe-finned fish that first appeared in the fossil record during the Early Devonian period, approximately 419 million years ago.

More than 175 species of coelacanth fossils are known from the Paleozoic and Mesozoic eras.

During the Mesozoic era, they diversified greatly, with some species developing unusual body shapes.

But at the end of the Cretaceous period, about 66 million years ago, they mysteriously disappeared from the fossil record.

The end-Cretaceous extinction, caused by a giant asteroid impact, wiped out about 75% of all life on Earth, including the non-avian dinosaurs.

It was therefore assumed that the coelacanth was also a victim of the same mass extinction.

However, in 1938, the first specimen of this species was discovered. Latimeria chalumnae It was caught by chance in South Africa.

The second known species, Latimeria menadoensisIt lives off the coast of Sulawesi, Indonesia.

Specimen Ngamgawi WirungariImage courtesy of John A. Long.

“Our study calls into question the idea that extant coelacanths are the oldest 'living fossils,'” said Professor Richard Cloutier, a vertebrate paleontologist at the University of Quebec.

“It first appeared in the geological record more than 410 million years ago, with fragmentary fossils found in places such as China and Australia.”

“But most of the early forms are poorly known. Ngamgawi Wirungari It is the best known of the Devonian coelacanths.

“As we slowly fill in the gaps, we can see how extant coelacanth species are LatimeriaAlthough they are commonly thought of as “living fossils,” they are in fact constantly evolving and may not deserve this enigmatic title.”

Specimen Ngamgawi Wirungari It was discovered in the Late Devonian Go Go Formation Gooniyandi Country in the Kimberley region of northern Western Australia.

Although now covered by a dry rock outcrop, around 380 million years ago the formation was part of an ancient tropical coral reef teeming with more than 50 species of fish.

Coelacanth phylogenetic relationships and divergence dates. Image courtesy of Clement others., doi:10.1038/s41467-024-51238-4.

“Ngamgawi Wirungari “This discovery gives us great insight into the early anatomy of the lineage that ultimately led to humans,” said Professor John Long, from Flinders University.

“Over 35 years, the Gogo site has yielded some perfectly preserved 3D fish fossils and many other important discoveries, including petrified soft tissue and the origin of complex sexual reproduction in vertebrates.”

“The study of this new species has allowed us to analyse the evolutionary history of all known coelacanths.”

“We calculated evolutionary rates over 410 million years of history,” they said.

“This study reveals that the evolution of coelacanths has slowed significantly since the time of the dinosaurs, with some intriguing exceptions.”

of Survey results Published in a journal Nature Communications.

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Alice M. Clement othersLate Devonian coelacanths reconstruct phylogeny, differentiation and evolutionary dynamics of Actinobacteria. Nature Communicationsin press; doi: 10.1038/s41467-024-51238-4

Source: www.sci.news

Neanderthal fossil genome uncovers ancient tribe isolated for centuries

Posted on September 11, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

The jawbone of a Neanderthal known as Thorin, thought to have belonged to an isolated group

Xavier Mus

Genetic analysis of Neanderthal fossils found in France has revealed that they are the remnants of a previously unknown lineage of ancient people that remained extremely isolated for more than 50,000 years, shedding new light on the final stages of the species' existence.

The fossil has been named Thorin, after a character from J.R.R. Tolkien's novels. The HobbitIt was discovered in 2015 in the Mandolin Cave in the Rhône Valley in southern France. Ludovic Slimak Researchers from the Centre for Human Biology and Genomics in Toulouse discovered a few teeth in the soil of the cave, and after nine years of painstaking excavation, they uncovered 31 teeth, a jawbone, part of a skull, and thousands of other bone fragments.

The discovery of so many fossils of Neanderthals, who lived in Eurasia from about 400,000 to 40,000 years ago and are now extinct, is extremely rare and a surprising find in itself.

Even more surprising, even though DNA doesn't normally preserve in warm climates, a fragment of Thorin's tooth yielded his genome, revealing that the fossil was male but solving a mystery that will take years to unravel.

Srimak and his colleagues compared Thorin's genome with those of other Neanderthals and estimated that he lived about 105,000 years ago, but archaeological evidence and isotope analysis of his bones clearly show that Thorin lived no more than 50,000 years ago, making him a “late Neanderthal” from the final stage of Neanderthal existence.

“We have been together for a long time [geneticists] “We were confident that Thorin was indeed an early Neanderthal precisely because his genetic lineage is very distantly related to modern Neanderthals from the same region,” the team said. Tarshika Vimala “On the one hand, archaeologists were convinced he was a late Neanderthal. It took years of work on both sides to arrive at the answer,” said a researcher from the University of Copenhagen.

Eventually, the researchers realized they must have discovered a previously unknown Neanderthal lineage: Thorin was part of a small group that lived between 42,000 and 50,000 years ago. This group was likely a remnant of a much older Neanderthal population that split off from the main Neanderthal population about 105,000 years ago and remained genetically isolated for more than 50,000 years afterwards.

Thorin's bones unearthed in the Mandolin Cave in France

Ludovic Slimak

Thorin's DNA showed no evidence of interbreeding between his lineage and the main Neanderthal population, despite their close proximity. “Thorin was completely different from other Neanderthals,” Slimak says.

This isolation may have made this population particularly vulnerable: “Prolonged isolation and inbreeding can reduce genetic diversity over time, which is detrimental to a population's survival, which in turn can negatively affect its ability to adapt to a changing environment,” Vimala says.

Srimak, Vimala and their colleagues then reanalyzed the genome of another Neanderthal who lived about 43,000 years ago at Les Côtés in France, and found traces in its DNA of a “ghost population” that interbred with another, previously unknown, Neanderthal group about 15,000 to 20,000 years ago.

“This means that there weren't just two populations among late Neanderthals, but possibly three,” says Slimak. Previously, it was thought that all Neanderthals before their extinction were part of a single genetically similar population.

“The evidence from Mandrin Cave is very exciting because it gives us fascinating insights into late Neanderthal populations and their movements.” Emma Pomeroy At Cambridge University.

topic:

Source: www.newscientist.com

Discovery of Giant Fossil Legume Seed from Extinct Plant in Borneo Island, Indonesia

Posted on August 16, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Paleontologists unearthed three large seeds (up to 7.2 centimeters long) and 43 fossil leaves of the ancient legume at the Wahana Baratama coal mine near Satui in South Kalimantan, Indonesian Borneo.

Juntungspermum gunneriImages/Photos Courtesy of: Spagnuolo others., doi: 10.1086/730538.

The newly identified legume lived in Southeast Asia between 40 and 34 million years ago (the Eocene Epoch).

Named Juntungspermum gunneriIt is very similar to the Australian black bean plant. Cassis.

“The tree currently occurs only in the coastal rainforests of northern Australia and nearby islands,” said Professor Peter Wilf of Pennsylvania State University and his colleagues.

Paleontologists found three fossil seeds, 43 leaves and pollen samples. Juntungspermum gunneri of Tanjun Formation South Kalimantan, Indonesian Borneo.

Also found were fossil tracks of a variety of birds, burrowing evidence of marine invertebrates, and the fossil remains of turtles.

“The seeds Juntungspermum gunneri “Apart from coconuts and other palm trees, it is one of the largest in the fossil record,” the researchers said.

“They probably grew up to a metre (3 feet) in length – about the length of a baseball bat – and in pods that could hold up to five seeds.”

“This fossil is the oldest legume fossil ever found in the Malay Archipelago and the first fossil record of a plant related to the black bean plant anywhere in the world.”

The researchers suggest that ancestors of the black bean plant migrated from Asia to Australia during a plate collision that brought the continents closer together, allowing for the exchange of plants and animals between the continents.

“The collision of the Southeast Asian and Australian plates, which began approximately 20 million years ago and is ongoing today, has led to a large-scale exchange of plant and animal species between the two continents,” the researchers said.

“This discovery provides the first macrofossil evidence of a migration of plant lineages from Asia to Australia following the Asia-Australia tectonic collision.”

“These fossil seeds are Cassis “They migrated from Southeast Asia to Australia during a tectonic collision and then became extinct in Asia,” said Edward Spagnolo, a doctoral student at Pennsylvania State University.

“This proposal runs counter to most of the existing direct macrofossil evidence of plant migration, which shows lineages migrating from Australia into Asia.”

of result Appears in International Journal of Plant Science.

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Edward J. Spagnuolo others2024. Giant seeds of extant Australian legumes are discovered in Eocene Borneo (South Kalimantan, Indonesia). International Journal of Plant Sciencein press; doi: 10.1086/730538

Source: www.sci.news

Key gap in pterosaur evolution filled by fossil dating back 150 million years

Posted on August 2, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

New genus and species of monophenestratan pterosaur named Propterodacillus frankellae It documents the transition from the older rhamphorhynchoid pterosaurs to pterodactyloids.

The holotype Propterodacillus frankellaeImage credit: Frederik Spindler, doi: 10.26879/1366.

Propterodacillus frankellae It lived about 150 million years ago, during the Kimmeridgian stage of the Late Jurassic Period.

This flying reptile had a moderately long skull, about 9 centimetres (3.5 inches) long, and an estimated wingspan of about 55 centimetres (21.7 inches).

This species also had a very short tail and a small but functional fifth finger with two phalanges.

Propterodacillus frankellae a kind of Monophenestratan (Monofenestrata) is a large group of pterosaurs that includes the family Turconopteridae and the suborder Pterodactyloidea.

“As the earliest actively flying vertebrate lineage, pterosaurs were highly successful in evolution throughout the Mesozoic Era.” Dr. Frederick Spindler “The dinosaur museum's Altmühlthal writes in the new paper:

“For most of the long history of research, every specimen could be classified as belonging to one of two major types: the more ancestral long-tailed Rhamphorhynchioidea and the derived short-tailed Pterodactyloidea.”

“The rare anurognathids, the only short-faced pterosaurs, have similarly short tails but otherwise look like rhamphorhynchids and are therefore generally thought to have been deep-nesting rhamphorhynchids.”

“True intermediate, and therefore plausible transitional, forms between the major types were unknown until the discovery of the Curculionoptera.”

The fossil, named the Painten protterosaur, was discovered beneath the Rigol limestone quarry near Painten in Bavaria, Germany.

The specimen consists of a complete and fully articulated skeleton with soft tissue remaining in the radial fibrils of the torso and wings.

“Propterodacillus frankellae It is contemporary with the oldest Archaeopteryx “It came from a nearby basin,” the paleontologists wrote in their paper.

According to Dr Spindler, the discovery fills one of the largest knowledge gaps in the evolution of pterosaur morphology.

“Propterodacillus frankellae “It's a near-perfect mix of rhamphorhynchoid, curcunopteroid and derived pterodactyloid pterosaur features,” he said.

“Similarities with the derived Pterodactyloidea include the shape of the skull and the short tail.”

“For example, the ancestral traits shared with the Turconogopteridae family are Propterodactyl The most distinctive features of this pterosauroidea animal are its functional fifth toe and long caudal snout.”

“Intermediate conditions apply for neck extension, metacarpal extension, and shortening of the fifth toe.”

of paper Published online in the journal Palenitrogy Electronica.

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Frederick Spindler. 2024. Pterosaur articulation from the Late Jurassic of Germany. Palenitrogy Electronica 27(2):a35; doi:10.26879/1366

Source: www.sci.news

Fossil of Cambrian long-tailed chordate discovered in Utah

Posted on July 26, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

It has a torpedo-shaped body with no fins. Nuucichthys lyoncocephalus It was the first molluscan vertebrate discovered in the Great Basin of the United States.

Nuucichthys lyoncocephalus It was a pelagic organism with limited swimming ability. Image courtesy of Franz Anthony.

Nuucichthys lyoncocephalus It lived in the Cambrian oceans between 505 million and 500 million years ago.

This ancient animal had a finless, torpedo-shaped body with many of the characteristics characteristic of vertebrates.

It is one of only four species that document an early evolutionary stage in the vertebrate lineage.

“discovery Nuucichthys lyoncocephalus “This discovery is a valuable contribution to early vertebrate evolution and biodiversity, as few organisms of this type have been found in Cambrian fossil sites (such as southern China, the northeastern United States, and British Columbia),” said paleontologists Rudy Leroy Aubril and Javier Ortega Hernández of Harvard University.

“Early vertebrates began to have large eyes and a series of muscle blocks called myotomes, which are very recognizable in fossils.”

The subject of the study Nuucichthys lyoncocephalus It is a single partial fossil found in the Marjum Formation in the House Mountains of western Utah, USA.

“Nuucichthys lyoncocephalus “This is the first soft-bodied vertebrate to be discovered in the Marjum Formation of the American Great Basin,” the paleontologists said.

They also found that despite its overall similarity to larval fish (with primitive gill-like cavities), the new species lacked fins, limiting its swimming ability.

“But all these features clearly show similarities to vertebrates,” Dr. Lerosay-Aubril said.

“It's such an early stage in vertebrate evolution that we don't have any bones yet, which is why these fossils are so rare.”

The authors speculate: Nuucichthys lyoncocephalus It probably lived high in the ocean's water column.

Because of this, and because they lacked biomineralized parts like bones or shells, they tended to deteriorate and decay quickly after death, which explains why very little fossilization occurred.

“What's interesting about this new species is that without fossils it's hard to understand how the morphology evolved from an invertebrate to a vertebrate form, but this new fossil tells us a little bit about that,” Dr Ortega-Hernández said.

Discovery Nuucichthys lyoncocephalus It has been reported paper In the journal Royal Society Open Science.

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Rudy Lerozay Aubril & Javier Ortega Hernández. 2024. A long-headed Cambrian soft-bodied vertebrate from the Great Basin region of the United States. R. Soc. Open Science 11(7):240350; doi: 10.1098/rsos.240350

Source: www.sci.news

Snake evolution is rewritten by 38-million-year-old fossil

Posted on July 23, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Paleontologists have described a new species of snake that lived during the Early Oligocene of Wyoming, based on four nearly complete, articulated specimens found curled together in a burrow.

Hibernophis Brighthaupti It lived 38 million years ago in what is now western Wyoming. Image courtesy of Jasmine Croghan.

Hibernophis Brighthaupti It lived in North America 38 million years ago (Early Oligocene Epoch).

The fossil has unique anatomical features, in part because the specimen is articulated, meaning that it was found all together with its bones in the proper order, which is unusual for a fossil snake.

Hibernophis Brighthaupti Probably an early member Boideia A group that includes modern boas and pythons.

“Modern boas are widespread across the Americas, but their early evolution is poorly understood,” said researchers from the University of Alberta. Professor Michael Caldwell And my colleagues.

“These new and extremely complete fossils add important new information, especially about the evolution of the small burrowing boas known as rubber boas.”

“Traditionally, there has been a lot of discussion about the evolution of small burrowing bores.”

“Hibernophis Brighthaupti This suggests that northern and central North America may have been an important base for their development.”

According to the team: Hibernophis Brighthaupti Thanks to its location, the specimen has been remarkably well preserved for tens of millions of years.

“38 million years ago, these particular Hibernophis Brighthaupti “At the time the snakes lived, the Southern Basin-Range volcanic system was incredibly active, emitting huge amounts of volcanic ash,” said Professor Caldwell, lead author of the study.

“The ash settled and helped preserve the remains of the organisms found within the fine sandy mudstone matrix typical of the White River Formation.”

Paleontologists speculate that the animals may have fallen victim to a small flood.

“Geologically speaking, they were preserved in very unusual conditions,” Professor Caldwell said.

“Fossilization is a brutal process. You need exactly the right conditions to preserve something.”

Four discoveries Hibernophis Brighthaupti The curled-up sleeping arrangement also suggests that this may be the oldest evidence of communal hibernation, a behaviour we know today.

“Modern garter snakes are notorious for congregating in the thousands and hibernating together in burrows and holes,” Professor Caldwell said.

“They do this to take advantage of the ball effect created by hibernating animals to conserve heat.”

“It's fascinating to see evidence of this social behavior and hibernation going back 34 million years.”

of study Published in Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society.

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Jasmine A. Croghan othersMorphology and taxonomy of a new fossil snake from the early Rupelian (Oligocene) White River Formation, Wyoming. Zoological Journal of the Linnean SocietyPublished online June 19, 2024; doi: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlae073

Source: www.sci.news

Exceptionally well-preserved fossil unveils intricate 3D anatomy of Cambrian trilobite

Posted on June 28, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Paleontologists have unearthed a well-preserved collection of Cambrian trilobite fossils in Morocco's High Atlas Mountains. The 510-million-year-old specimens are among the best-preserved three-dimensional trilobite fossils ever found.

Artistic reconstruction of two species of trilobites shortly before they were buried under volcanic ash flows 510 million years ago. Image by Abderrazak El Albani, University of Poitiers.

Trilobites are extinct arthropods that dominated the marine fauna of the Paleozoic Era.

During their lifetime on Earth, which lasted much longer than the dinosaurs, they survived two major extinctions and dominated undersea ecosystems.

Trilobites are among the best-studied marine animal fossils because their hard, calcified exoskeletons are well preserved in the fossil record.

Over the past two centuries, paleontologists have described more than 20,000 species of organisms.

However, until now, comprehensive scientific understanding of this incredibly diverse group has been limited by the relative lack of soft tissue preservation.

“I've been studying trilobites for nearly 40 years but I've never felt as though I was looking at a living animal as I did in this case,” said Dr Greg Edgecombe, a palaeontologist at the Natural History Museum in London.

“I've seen a lot of representations of the soft-body anatomy of trilobites, but the 3D preservation here is truly astounding.”

“An unexpected outcome of our research is the discovery that shallow marine volcanic ash could be a huge repository for the preservation of exceptional fossils.”

The Moroccan trilobite was encased in hot ash in seawater, so its body fossilized very quickly as the ash turned to rock.

The ash molds preserved parts of their bodies, their legs, and even the hair-like structures running along their appendages.

The trilobite's digestive tract was also preserved after being buried in the ash.

Tiny “lamp shells” attached to the trilobite's exoskeleton also remained attached by fleshy stalks, just as they were when the animal was alive.

Microtomographic reconstruction of trilobite species. Zygothera mauretanica Ventral view. Image courtesy of Arnaud Mazurier, IC2MP, University of Poitiers.

Using CT scans and computer modelling of virtual X-ray slices, the researchers found that an appendage found at the edge of the mouth had a curved, spoon-like base, but was so small that it went undetected in the less well-preserved fossils.

In fact, while trilobites were previously thought to have three pairs of head appendages behind their long antennae, this study shows that both Moroccan species have four pairs.

The fleshy leaf-like part covering the mouth, called the labia, was recorded for the first time in a trilobite.

“The results reveal in incredible detail the clustering of specialised pairs of legs around the mouth, giving us a clearer picture of how trilobites fed,” said Dr Harry Burks, a palaeontologist at the University of Bristol.

“We found that the head and body appendages had rows of densely packed spines that pointed inwards, like those of today's horseshoe crabs.”

“As a scientist who has studied fossils from different times and places, finding such amazingly well-preserved fossils in a volcanic area was a very exciting experience for me,” said geologist Professor Abderrazak El Albani of the University of Poitiers.

“I believe that pyroclastic deposits should become new research subjects because of their excellent potential for capturing and preserving biological remains, including delicate soft tissues.”

“These discoveries are expected to lead to important discoveries about the evolution of life on Earth.”

The results of this study today are journal Science.

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Abderrazak El Albani others2024. Rapid volcanic ash deposition reveals 3D structure of Cambrian trilobite. Sciencein press.

Source: www.sci.news

Paleontologists Uncover Secrets of ‘Elgin Marvel’ Fossil

Posted on June 18, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

The “Elgin Marvel” fossil is a block of reddish sandstone containing a natural cast of a Permian skull and jaw. Dicynodonts It was discovered in the Hopeman Sandstone Formation near Elgin, Scotland. According to a new study, the specimen Gordonia traquairi A type of dicynodont that lived between 254 and 252 million years ago, when the Earth was made up of a single land mass called Pangaea.

Artist image Gordonia traquairi Image courtesy of Scott Reed.

Gordonia traquairi It belongs to a group of extinct species known as dicynodonts, and is characterized by its stocky body, beak, and tusks.

This organism lived relatively shortly before the end-Permian extinction (the Great Dying), the worst mass extinction event in history, which occurred about 252 million years ago and wiped out much of life on Earth.

The Elgin Marvel specimen is one of the best-preserved in a series of fossils collected near Elgin in northeast Scotland.

These are collectively known as the Elgin reptiles. Gordonia traquairi are closely related to mammals.

In the new study, paleontologist Heidi George of the University of Edinburgh and her colleagues performed micro-CT scans of the cavities the animal carved into the sandstone before the bones deteriorated.

The scan produces a three-dimensional representation of the skull anatomy, including details of the brain.

These insights help us understand animal behavior and the biology behind it, providing clues about the evolution of this and other species.

Gordonia traquairi The fossil shares many physical characteristics with similar remains found in China, indicating that dicynodonts were diversifying around the world just before the devastating extinction.

The Elgin reptile is the only known example of this type of fossil from Western Europe.

Palaeontologists hope that the increasing use of micro-CT scanning as a tool to study fossils in detail, combined with the trend toward open sharing of data, will provide opportunities to add to the body of knowledge in the field.

“The Elgin Marvel is a fascinating fossil of an ancient mammal relative that is one of the best-preserved of the world-famous Elgin reptiles,” Dr. George said.

“Most of these famous fossils were discovered more than a century ago, but it’s only recently that new techniques have revealed more detail and provided valuable insights into their skull and brain anatomy and lineage.”

“It’s hard to imagine, but about 250 million years ago Scotland was a desert covered with sand dunes. Gordonia “God was in control of the world,” says Professor Steve Brusatte of the University of Edinburgh.

“By studying them, we can learn about some of the earliest stages of our own evolution.”

This study paper In Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society.

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Heidi George others Micro-CT data reveal new information about the craniomandibular and neuroanatomy of dicynodonts. Gordonia (Therapsid: Heterodontida) Lived in the Late Permian of Scotland. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society Published online June 18, 2024; doi: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlae065

Source: www.sci.news

Rare nothosaurus fossil discovered in New Zealand

Posted on June 18, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

The 246-million-year-old specimen is the geologically oldest marine reptile to inhabit the Southern Hemisphere.

This image shows a nothosaurus swimming along the ancient Antarctic coast of what is now New Zealand about 246 million years ago (during the Triassic Period). Image courtesy of Stavros Kundromichalis.

“Reptiles dominated the seas millions of years before dinosaurs dominated the land,” said Dr Benjamin Kear from the Museum of Evolution at Uppsala University and his colleagues.

“The most diverse and geologically longest-surviving group are the sauropods, with an evolutionary history spanning more than 180 million years.”

“This group included the long-necked plesiosaurs. Nothosaurus was their distant ancestor.”

“Nothosaurus could grow up to 7 metres (23 feet) in length and swam using four paddle-like limbs. It had a flattened skull with a web of narrow, conical teeth that it used to catch fish and squid.”

The 246-million-year-old Nothosaurus fossil was discovered in 1978 in rocks found along a major tributary of the Balmacaan River at the foot of Mount Harper in the Harper Ranges of New Zealand's central South Island.

“The New Zealand nothosaurus is more than 40 million years older than the oldest sauropod fossil yet found in the Southern Hemisphere,” said Dr Keir, lead author of the paper. paper Published in the journal Current Biology.

“We show that these ancient marine reptiles lived in shallow coastal environments rich in marine life within the Antarctic Circle at that time.”

“The oldest nothosaurus fossils date back to about 248 million years ago and were found along an ancient low-northern latitude belt that stretched from the remote northeastern to northwestern edges of the Panthalassa superocean.”

“The origin, distribution and timing of the arrival of nothosaurs in these remote areas remain a matter of debate.”

“Some theories suggest that they migrated along Arctic coastlines, swam through inland seas, or used ocean currents to cross the Panthalassa superocean.”

Morphology and biogeographical context of the earliest sauropod-finned fish in the Southern Hemisphere. Image courtesy of Kear others., doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.03.035.

New fossils discovered in New Zealand overturn these long-held assumptions.

“Using a time-calibrated evolutionary model of the global distribution of sauropods, we show that nothosaurs originated near the equator and then rapidly spread north and south at the same time that complex marine ecosystems were being re-established after the great extinction that marked the beginning of the Age of Dinosaurs,” Dr Kear said.

“The beginning of the age of the dinosaurs was marked by extreme global warming, which allowed these marine reptiles to thrive in Antarctica.”

“This also suggests that the ancient polar regions were likely routes for their earliest global migration, similar to the epic transoceanic journeys undertaken by modern whales.”

“There are surely fossils of long-extinct sea monsters still waiting to be discovered in New Zealand and other parts of the Southern Hemisphere.”

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Benjamin P. Kear others2024. Earliest southern sauropods reveal early globalization of marine reptiles. Current Biology 34(12):562-563; doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.03.035

Source: www.sci.news

Australia Unearths New Flying Reptile Fossil

Posted on June 13, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Australian paleontologists have discovered the fossilized skeleton of a previously unknown Anhangeria pterosaur, dating back 100 million years.

Reconstructing your life Haliskia petersenii Image courtesy of Gabriel N. Ugueto.

The newly identified pterosaur species lived in what is now northeastern Australia's state of Queensland during the Early Cretaceous period, about 100 million years ago.

Scientific Name Haliskia petersenii This flying reptile had a premaxillary crown and curved teeth.

It also had a long wingspan of about 4.6 metres (15.1 feet).

“Haliskia petersenii “About 100 million years ago, when much of central-west Queensland was underwater and covered by a vast inland sea, and on Earth where the southern Victoria coastline is now, it would have been a fearsome predator,” said Adele Pentland, a PhD student at Curtin University.

Fossilized remains Haliskia petersenii Kevin Petersen, curator of the Kronosaurus Corner Museum, in November 2021 Toule back formation Of the Eromanga Basin.

“Haliskia petersenii “The fossil is 22 per cent complete, more than twice as complete as the only other partial pterosaur skeleton found in Australia,” Mr Pentland said.

“The specimen includes a complete lower jaw, the tip of the upper jaw, 43 teeth, vertebrae, ribs, both wing bones and part of a leg.”

“There are also very thin and delicate throat bones present, indicating the presence of a muscular tongue, which would have been useful when eating fish and cephalopods.”

Pentland and colleagues Anhangeria is a group of pterosaurs known to have lived all over the world, including in what is now Brazil, Britain, Morocco, China, Spain, and the United States.

“The global nature of the Anhang-area pterosaurs, and in particular their success across Gondwana (e.g. in the Eromanga and Araripe basins), may have been made possible by niche partitioning within this clade,” the paleontologists said.

“However, rigorous testing of this hypothesis will require multiple locations and better time constraints.”

“Additional data on this clade are available Haliskia petersenii ” sheds light on the palaeoecology of Anhangeria pterosaurs and highlights the taxonomic diversity of these flying reptiles from the Cretaceous of Australia.”

Team paper Published in the journal Scientific Reports.

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A.H. Pentland others. 2024. Haliskia petersenii A new Anhangelian pterosaur that lived in the early Late Cretaceous of Australia. Scientific Reports 14, 11789; doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-60889-8

Source: www.sci.news

Argentina unearths new fossil of cephalopod resembling a nautilus

Posted on June 11, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Paleontologists have redescribed Epitornoceras bardisi Using new fossils from the Chigua Formation, researchers have uncovered a mysterious species of ammonite cephalopod that lived in the Devonian Period of Argentina.

Artistic Reproduction of an Ammonite Epitornoceras bardisi During the Middle Devonian. Image courtesy of H. Santiago Druetta / CICTERRA / National University of Córdoba.

Epitornoceras bardisi It lived in the marine environment of the supercontinent Gondwana during the Late Givetian Stage of the Middle Devonian, approximately 383 million years ago.

“During the Early to Middle Devonian, southwestern Gondwana was characterized by a circumpolar marine environment with a remarkable phase of increasing specificity and the near absence of typical Palaeozoic groups (mainly conodonts, graptolites and stromatoporoids),” Dr. Ninon Allaire By the National University of Córdoba and colleagues.

“One of these families is Ammonite They are extremely rare, with only a few reported finds in deposits from the Early Eifelian to Early Frasnian (393 to 383 million years ago) in Bolivia and Argentina.

Epitornoceras bardisi It was first described as a member of the cephalopod genus in 1968. Tornoceras.

The team's new findings suggest that the species should be reclassified into a separate genus. Epitornoceras.

The genus has been recorded from North America, North Africa and Europe, but this is its first record from South America.

“Epitornoceras “It inhabits North Africa, the Rhine-Bohemian basin and the Appalachian basin,” the paleontologists said.

“Their diversification and acquisition of a wide geographic range occurred after the Taganic biotic crisis in the mid-late Givetian.”

“therefore, Epitornoceras Its occurrence in the southernmost part of West Gondwana during the Late Givean is not surprising, given the well-documented pattern of tropical migration into the circumpolar basins following the Taganic biotic crisis.”

New specimens Epitornoceras bardisi From the type area of the Chigua Formation, San Juan Province, Argentina. Image courtesy of Allaire others., doi: 10.5252/geodiversitas2024v46a7.

In this study, the authors examined 10 new specimens. Epitornoceras bardisi It was collected from the top of the Chigua Formation in San Juan Province, Argentina.

The study area is located in the Argentine Precordillera, an intraplate fold-fault zone at the southern edge of the Central Andean foreland basin.

“Epitornoceras “Records from Appalachia, Morocco and Europe indicate that the genus is distributed worldwide and diversified after the Taganic biotic crisis in the mid-late Givetian,” the researchers said.

“Its presence at the southernmost tip of western Gondwana suggests a late Givetian migration from the tropics into the cooler Malvinocossan realm.”

“Despite the presence of ammonites from all over the world in the Argentine Precordillera, the coexisting trilobites are Carmoniaceae Additional endemic genera include Bellenopigue“We confirm that the Malvinoxosan (Malvinocafric) realm is still identifiable as a major biogeographic unit during the Late Givettian of southernmost West Gondwana, based on its typical diagnostic elements.”

Team paper Published in the journal Geodiversitas.

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N. Alaïa others2024. Late Givetian (Middle Devonian) ammonoids Epitornoceras Flake, 1902, from Argentina (southwest Gondwana). Geodiversitas 46(7):327-341; doi: 10.5252/geodiversitas2024v46a7

Source: www.sci.news

Newly Identified Species: Fossil of Small Ape Discovered in Europe

Posted on June 8, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Two teeth from the newly identified ancient ape Buronius manfredschmidi, viewed from multiple angles

Böhme et al., 2024, PLOS ONE, CC-BY 4.0

A small, herbivorous ape may have lived in Western Europe 11.6 million years ago. Smaller and lighter than any great ape known to date, the newly discovered 10-kilogram (22-pound) primate was probably a skilled climber that ate leaves, researchers say. Madeline Boehme At the University of Tübingen, Germany.

“This is a fairly small primate,” she says, “but it's different from all the known fossils and certainly different from all the modern great apes we've known so far.”

About 15 million years ago, during the Miocene, hominoids (great apes) became rare in Africa and more abundant in Europe. Hominoids sometimes shared habitats with other primates, including apes and pliopithecoids, extinct relatives of Old World monkeys, but hominoids do not appear to have coexisted with each other in Europe.

In 2019, Boehme and his colleagues reported the discovery of 37 bones at the Hammerschmiede site in Bavaria that appear to belong to an early, bipedal ape dating back 11.6 million years ago, which they named “hominoid.” Danubius Guggenmosi.

During the excavation, Boehme was surprised to find two small ape-like teeth and a kneecap in the same sedimentary layer. Danubius fossil.

“We kept saying, 'What is this?'” she says of these tiny fossils, “and we concluded that this is clearly something new.”

The fossils are too old for DNA analysis, Boehme said, so the researchers took detailed measurements of the juvenile's 7-millimeter-long molar and 16-millimeter-wide kneecap, as well as a fragment of a premolar that they believe to belong to a young adult. They also calculated the thickness of the enamel and took microscopic CT scans of the teeth.

The gorilla-like thin enamel suggests they probably ate soft foods like leaves, Boehme said, and the shape, thickness and ligament attachment sites of the kneecap are similar to those of arboreal primates, suggesting the apes were good climbers.

Researchers look at new ape Bronius ManfredschmidyThe fossil, named after the medieval name of the nearby Hammerschmiede site, was discovered by dentist Manfred Schmidt, who has been collecting fossils at the site since the 1970s.

Lack of competition for resources Bronius and Danubius Apes can coexist, says Boehme – Danubius They are thought to have eaten tough foods such as nuts and meat, and the team can't rule out the possibility that great apes, which could have been up to three times as heavy, may have preyed on smaller species, she added.

But these three fossils alone may not be enough to reach such a “big” conclusion, the researchers say. Sergio Almesia It is on display at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. “Small fossil elements may date to infancy. Danubius “The teeth definitely look like baby teeth. [baby teeth]. “

He also thinks the kneecap may represent the same species as the tooth: “It has been suggested that it belongs to a juvenile individual, but its size overlaps with the lower range of adult orangutans.” [which are much larger apes]” says Almesija.

Clement Zanolly A researcher from the University of Bordeaux in France also has doubts: “I'm not sure whether the teeth, especially the molars, belong to a hominoid or to another primate superfamily, a pliopithecoid.”

Boehme and his colleagues say their comparison rules out the possibility that the tooth is a milk tooth or a pliopithecoid tooth.

In any case, the fact that the two primate species shared the same habitat and possibly even interacted with each other is a “fantastic discovery,” Zanolli said, “and it reinforces the idea that Europe at that time was a luxurious and comfortable place for primates to evolve.”

topic:

Source: www.newscientist.com

Rare T-Rex Fossil Found by 10-Year-Old Boy in North Dakota

Posted on June 5, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

During a family walk in North Dakota, a rare fossil was unexpectedly discovered buried in the soil — that of a teenage boy, a Tyrannosaurus Rex.

This discovery is significant as it could provide greater insight into the life of this famous dinosaur known as “Teen Rex,” who was discovered by two younger brothers, his father, and a cousin.

The fossil was found in the North Dakota wilderness, about 10 miles from the town of Marmarth, in 2022 by children aged 7, 9, and 10. While on a walk, one of the children and his father noticed a large foot bone sticking out of the ground.

Tyrannosaurus Rex was smaller than a full-grown Tyrannosaurus and had not yet fully matured – Courtesy of the Denver Museum of Nature and Science

The father, Sam Fisher, contacted Tyler Lyson, curator of paleontology at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, who confirmed the discovery through research.

“This finding is particularly interesting because Tyrannosaurus Rex “All the fossils found so far have been of adults,” said Lyson. “Studying the remains of young animals will shed light on different aspects of dinosaur life, such as growth patterns.”

“Furthermore, three young scientists have embraced their passion and the excitement of discovery, making incredible dinosaur discoveries that advance science, deepen our understanding of the natural world, and inspire other explorers and scientists of the future.”

Tyrannosaurus is one of the best-known dinosaurs of all time and lived in western North America during the Late Cretaceous Period, between 90 and 66 million years ago.

In a paper published in 2023, it was initially believed that dinosaurs like T. rex were particularly clever, with brains containing about 3 billion neurons, more than a baboon’s. However, recent studies have shown intelligence comparable to that of a reptile.

It is now thought that this Teen Rex was around 13 to 15 years old, measuring 7.6 meters (25 feet) in length and weighing around 1,500 kilograms. They reach full growth at around 18-21 years of age and can weigh more than twice as much as this specimen.

After careful excavation and extraction, “Teen Rex” was airlifted by Blackhawk helicopter and is now displayed at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. The fossil and its plaster encasement weigh over 2,000 kg.

A team of museum paleontologists and volunteers will now clean the skeleton and prepare it for study in the Teen Rex Discovery Preparation Lab where the progress can be followed by the public.

Read more:

Source: www.sciencefocus.com

Newly discovered fossil of hybodontiform shark found in Japan

Posted on June 5, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Japanese paleontologists have described a new species of shark-like cartilaginous fish based on fossil teeth found in the Momonoki Formation of the Late Triassic Period.

Fossilized teeth Parvodus ominechonensisScale bar – 0.5 mm. Image courtesy of Breeden III others., doi: 10.1080/02724634.2024.2322749.

Named Parvodus ominechonensis The newly identified shark species lived during the Late Triassic period, between 237 million and 227 million years ago.

it is Parvodas Small extinct genus Hybodontiform Shark It has been known since the Mesozoic era.

“Hybodontiforme is an extinct lineage of sharks that is generally considered to be the sister lineage of Neoselachia (i.e. rays, rays, and modern sharks) within the chondrichthyes Euselaciidae,” he said. Dr. Benjamin T. Breedon III Researchers from the National Museum of Nature and Science in Tsukuba and his colleagues.

“The oldest clearly hybodontiform fossils are from the Mississippian, but the discovery of isolated teeth has pushed the oldest record of this group back to the Late Devonian.”

“Hybodontiform fossils have been found primarily in coastal and lagoonal deposits throughout the Late Palaeozoic, suggesting a shallow-marine palaeoecology of the clade's ancestors.”

“However, some hybodontiforms appear to have become euryhaline early in the evolution of their lineage, and since the Mississippian, hybodontiforms have repeatedly invaded freshwater environments.”

“Hybodontis were the most abundant group of sharks among marine and non-marine vertebrate groups throughout the Early Mesozoic, but their diversity declined after the Early Jurassic until their extinction at or near the end of the Cretaceous.”

Ecological reconstruction of the hybodontiform shark Strophodus rebeccae Image credit: Jorge Blanco / CC BY 4.0.

Some isolated teeth Parvodus ominechonensis It was collected from the non-marine peach tree layer in Ominecho (romanized as Ominecho) in the western part of Mine City, Yamaguchi Prefecture.

“The diversity of Triassic hybodontids is known from Japan, among which Parvodus ominechonensis It is the only species known from non-marine sediments and the first reported occurrence of this family. Ronchididae” the paleontologist said.

According to the study: Parvodus ominechonensis Filling in gaps in the geological record Parvodas Between occurrences in Middle Triassic and Middle Jurassic strata.

“The Triassic Global Record Parvodas include Parvodus physodus From the Chinese Olenekians, Parvodas Chinese Anisian sp., and Parvodus ominechonensis The Carnian period in the Japanese Archipelago Parvodus ominechonensis and Parvodus physodus “It is also known from non-marine deposits,” the authors say.

“Since the Triassic Period, Parvodas It is known to have lived in marine and non-marine strata throughout Laurasia and South America until its extinction in the Early Cretaceous.

“this is, Parvodas They may have originated in freshwater habitats in the southern Chinese region of Pangaea after the end-Permian mass extinction, diversified throughout the Triassic in what is now East Asia, and achieved a global distribution during the late Mesozoic.”

Discovery Parvodus ominechonensis It has been reported paper In Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology.

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Benjamin T. Breedon III others2023. A new species of hybodontiform shark (Chondrichthyes, Elasmobranchia), a freshwater shark from the Upper Triassic Momonoki Formation of Yamaguchi Prefecture. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 43(5); doi:10.1080/02724634.2024.2322749

Source: www.sci.news

Australia unearths remarkably intact fossil skull of extinct colossal bird

Posted on June 3, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Australian paleontologists Genyornis neutoni A species of giant flightless Mihirn that became extinct approximately 45,000 years ago.

This illustration is, Genyornis neutoni Waterside in a wetland or marsh-like environment. The scene itself was inspired by places that exist in southern South Australia today, such as the Coorong and the Narrindjeri region of the Lower Murray River. Genyornis neutoni If this type of environment were widespread across the country, many Genyornis The fossils were found in Lake Carabonna, more than a day’s drive north, which is now a dry salt lake. It was probably much wetter in the past. Image by Jacob C. Blokland.

Genyornis neutoni Belongs to Dromornithidae The Mihirung is a species of flightless bird from Australia that became extinct during the Oligocene and Pleistocene epochs.

Also known as Newton’s Mihirn, this species lived in Australia between 48,000 and 45,000 years ago.

The bird was over two metres tall, weighed 220-240 kilograms, had tiny wings and huge hind legs, and laid a melon-sized egg weighing around 1.5 kilograms.

The only previous known skull of this species was reported in 1913, and it was so badly damaged that very little of the original bone remained, meaning not much could be inferred about the skull.

The well-preserved new specimen was discovered in the dry, salty lake bed of Lake Carabonna, in a remote area of inland South Australia.

As would be expected from such a large bird, its skull was far from ordinary, with an enormous cranium, large upper and lower jaws, and an unusual skull crown.

The upper beak in particular displays a remarkable morphology that distinguishes this bird even from its closest relatives, which are otherwise quite similar.

“Genyornis neutoni “It had a high, mobile upper jaw like a parrot, but was shaped more like a goose, with a wide mouth opening, powerful biting force and the roof of its mouth capable of crushing soft plants and fruit,” says American zoologist Dr Phoebe McInerney. Flinders University.

“Skull features also showed undeniable and complex affinities with early-diverging waterfowl lineages, the South American screamer and, more recently, the Australian magpie goose.”

” Genyornis “The mysteries within this group have been difficult to unravel, but with this new skull we begin to piece together the puzzle that shows this species is a giant goose.”

“we, Genyornis“For the first time we’ve been able to work out the face of this bird – it’s quite different to other birds but does resemble a goose,” said Dr Trevor Worthy, also from Flinders University.

skull Genyornis neutoniImage courtesy of McInerney others., doi: 10.1080/08912963.2024.2308212.

By assessing the morphology of the skull, the researchers were able to evaluate the muscles and movements of each joint, building a detailed picture of how the head functioned.

“Bone shape and bone structure are in part related to the soft tissues that interact with them, such as muscles and ligaments and their attachment sites and pathways,” said Flinders University researcher Jacob Blokland.

“By using modern birds as a comparison, we can put flesh on fossils and bring them back to life.”

Moreover, paleontologists Genyornis neutoni It has several unusual adaptations to adapt to its aquatic habitat, allowing it to protect its ears and throat from the influx of water when its head is submerged underwater.

These adaptations provide further support that the species was nothing more than a giant prehistoric goose, and may be linked to its extinction as the freshwater bodies of northern South Australia are now mainly salt lakes.

“Thanks to this skull, we Genyornis neutoni “We now have a much better understanding of these birds, which once roamed widely across the Australian outback, and the reasons for their eventual extinction,” the researchers concluded.

their paper Published in the journal Historical Biology.

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Phoebe L. McInerney othersMysterious skull shape Genyornis neutoni Stirling & Zeitz, 1896 (Aves, Dromornithidae), with implications for functional morphology, ecology and evolution in the Gallopodidae. Historical BiologyPublished online June 3, 2024; doi: 10.1080/08912963.2024.2308212

Source: www.sci.news

Vermont Mandates Fossil Fuel Companies to Provide Compensation for Climate Damage

Posted on June 1, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Vermont’s groundbreaking new law is set to become the first in the United States to mandate that fossil fuel companies contribute to the expenses associated with weather-related disasters caused by climate change.

The bill was authorized by Republican Governor Phil Scott on Thursday night without his signature, following its passage in the state Legislature with majority support from Democrats.

According to Vermont law, the Climate Superfund Act is designed to hold companies accountable, similar to the EPA’s Superfund program, by requiring large oil and high-emission companies to cover expenses related to preparing for and recovering from extreme weather events resulting from climate change.

The companies subject to taxation and the specific amounts they must pay will be determined based on a calculation of the role of climate change in Vermont’s weather disasters and the costs incurred by the state. Each company’s share will be based on their carbon dioxide emissions between 2000 and 2019.

Following the bill’s passage in Vermont, there was uncertainty among state lawmakers regarding Governor Scott’s potential veto of the legislation. In a memo to lawmakers, Scott expressed concerns about the bill’s impacts.

However, supporters of the law celebrated its enactment, viewing it as a step towards holding major polluters accountable for environmental damage. Elena Millay, vice president of the Vermont Environmental Protection Law Foundation, praised the legislation.

Ethan Poplawski’s family home was destroyed in a landslide in July 2023 in Lipton, Vermont.
Jessica Rinaldi/The Boston Globe via Getty Images file

Lauren Hierle, executive director of Vermont Environmental Voters, highlighted the importance of the Climate Superfund in distributing cleanup costs fairly and preventing taxpayers from bearing the burden alone.

The funds collected from fossil fuel companies under the new law will go towards upgrading infrastructure, securing schools and public buildings against extreme weather, storm cleanup, and reducing public health expenses related to climate change. State agencies will determine each company’s financial obligations by 2027.

While the law is expected to face legal challenges, including potential lawsuits, critics like the American Petroleum Institute argue that the fees are unjust and damaging to the energy industry.

Other states such as Massachusetts, Maryland, and New York are also contemplating similar legislation in response to escalating climate disasters, showcasing a growing need for financial resources to support recovery efforts.

Jennifer Rushlow, a Vermont Law School professor, emphasized the significance of Vermont’s law in setting a precedent for resilient climate Superfund legislation that could be adopted by other states.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

Incredible Discovery: Giant Short-Faced Kangaroo Fossil Unearthed in Australia

Posted on May 29, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Palaeontologists from the Victoria Museum Research Institute and other institutions have discovered Cymostenurus occidentalis Fossils of a eastern grey kangaroo, a species of giant short-faced kangaroo that lived in Australia until about 42,000 years ago, have been discovered in Nightshade Cave in Gunaikurnai County, north of the town of Buchan in eastern Victoria, Australia.

“Short-faced kangaroo They appear in the Australian fossil record around 10 to 15 million years ago, when tropical rainforests began to give way to drier habitats.” Said Dr Tim Ziegler, Collections Manager at Museum Research Victoria;

“They especially diversified during the Late Pleistocene, about 500,000 years ago, during the transition to our present-day arid climate.”

“But in a wave of extinction around 45,000 years ago, they disappeared from the entire continent, along with up to 85% of Australia's large animals.”

49,400-year-old skeleton of a giant short-faced kangaroo Cymostenurus occidentalis It was discovered in Nightshade Cave in Victoria.

The animal's skull was discovered by a local cave group in 2011, and just 10 years later, the individual's skeleton below the skull was discovered by expert paleontologists.

“The skull had a deep snout, robust jaws and teeth, characteristic of a short-faced kangaroo,” Dr Ziegler explained.

“Behind it there were many more bones. It was amazing to see the vertebrae, shoulders, hips, limbs and thin rib cage. Many of the bones had not been moved at all and were still in their original position. This was one animal, not just bones scattered randomly. It felt like the Holy Grail of fossils.”

Cymostenurus occidentalisImage credit: Nellie Pease / ARC CoE CABAH / CC BY-SA 4.0 Deed.

According to the team, the discovery was made at a young age. Cymostenurus occidentalis.

“This is a further distinction from other species of this animal as it is a juvenile rather than an adult kangaroo,” Dr Ziegler said.

“The teeth had barely worn down, the skull had not yet fused, and the ends of the limbs had not yet joined together.”

“Based on the size of its limbs, we estimate its weight to be around 80 kilograms, which is roughly the weight of an average human. However, as an adult, it may have been half that size.”

The specimen consists of 150 preserved bones and is the most complete fossil skeleton ever found in a Victorian cave.

This fossil, along with others from Nightshade Cave, are now permanently housed and cared for at the Melbourne Museum.

“The skeleton we found has a perfectly intact spinal column, providing new insights that aren't possible from isolated bones,” Dr Ziegler said.

“Thanks to the detailed 3D model, this nearly complete skeleton can be studied from anywhere in the world.”

“A key idea under investigation is whether the Stenulin kangaroo was striding rather than hopping.”

Source: www.sci.news

Illinois Unearths Remarkable 308-Million-Year-Old Fossil of Spiny Spider

Posted on May 21, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

The forests of the Late Carboniferous Period (about 300-320 million years ago) were home to a wide variety of arachnids. In addition to the familiar spiders, harvestmen, and scorpions, there were other strange kinds of spider-like animals. new paper this month, paleontology journal a pair of paleontologists explained. douglas sarachne echinopod a large spider-like arachnid with highly spiny legs (presumably to deter predators) from the world-famous Mason Creek fossil site in Illinois, USA.

douglas sarachne echinopod. Image credit: Paul Selden and Jason Dunlop, doi: 10.1017/jpa.2024.13.

“douglas sarachne echinopod “It comes from Illinois' famous Mason Creek and is approximately 308 million years old,” said Dr. Paul Selden, a paleontologist at the University of Kansas and the Natural History Museum in London.

“This compact arachnid, about 1.5 cm long, has surprisingly strong, spiny legs, and is completely unlike any other known arachnid, living or extinct.”

“Coal measurements are an important source of information about fossil arachnids and represent the first time in Earth's history that most living groups of arachnids arose together. However, the fauna remains quite different from what it is today. It was different.”

Dr Jason Dunlop, a paleontologist at the Berlin Museum of Nature, said: 'Spiders are a fairly rare group, only known from primitive lineages at the time, and they are similar to a variety of long-extinct arachnids and these. They shared a shared ecosystem.”

“douglas sarachne echinopod is a particularly striking example of one of these extinct forms. ”

“Although this fossil's highly spiny legs are reminiscent of modern harvesters, its body structure is quite different from harvesters and other known arachnid groups.”

douglas sarachne echinopod The researchers discovered that it does not belong to any known order of Araneidae.

“Unfortunately, we can't see details such as the mouth parts, so it's difficult to say exactly which group of arachnids are our closest relatives,” Dr Selden said.

“It may belong to a broader group that includes spiders, whip spiders and whip scorpions.”

“Whatever their evolutionary similarities, these spiny arachnids likely come from a time when arachnids were experimenting with different body plans.”

“Some of these later became extinct, probably shortly after the Mason Creek era, during the so-called 'Carboniferous rainforest collapse,' when coal forests began to fragment and disappear. Or perhaps these strange arachnids are hanging on until the mass extinction at the end of the Permian?”

Specimen douglas sarachne echinopod It was discovered in clay and ironstone concretions by Bob Macek in the 1980s.

Macek introduced a common method of cracking stones by leaving them outdoors in water over the winter, allowing frost to penetrate the natural cracks in the stones along the fossil-containing surface.

A sharp hammer blow split the stone along a plane, exposing the fossil.

Around 1990, David Douglas acquired a specimen from Bob, at which point it became part of the David and Sandra Douglas Collection and was displayed in the Douglas Family Museum of Prehistoric Life.

In 2023, when it became clear that the specimen was a new species, David Douglas donated it to the Field Museum of Natural History for study.

“Genus name douglas sarachne We recognize the Douglas family,” Dr. Dunlop said.

“after that, echinopods “Refers to the animal's unique and distinctive spiny legs.”

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Paul A. Selden and Jason A. Dunlop. A remarkable spiny arachnid from Mason Creek Lagerstätte, Pennsylvania, Illinois. paleontology journal, published online on May 17, 2024. Doi: 10.1017/jpa.2024.13

Source: www.sci.news

478-Million-Year-Old Fossil Illuminates the Diversity and Evolution of Early Euchelidae

Posted on May 15, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Euchericherata A large group of arthropods that includes horseshoe crabs, scorpions, spiders, mites, ticks, and the extinct sea scorpions and snails. Abundant cetapedites The new species of Euchelycerate, which lived in what is now Morocco during the Early Ordovician period 478 million years ago, bridges the gap between modern and Cambrian species.

rebuilding the life of Abundant cetapedites. Image credit: Elissa Sorojsrisom.

“Modern scorpions, spiders, and horseshoe crabs belong to a vast lineage of arthropods that appeared on Earth about 540 million years ago,'' said Lorenzo Lustri, a paleontologist at the University of Lausanne. Ta.

“More precisely, they belong to the subphylum, chelicerates, which includes organisms equipped with pincers used specifically for biting, grasping prey, and injecting venom, and therefore chelicerates ( Euchelicerata+Pycnogonida). But what is the ancestor of this very special group?

“This question has puzzled paleontologists ever since the study of ancient fossils began.”

“Among early arthropods, it has been impossible to identify with certainty which forms share enough similarities with modern species to be considered ancestral.”

“The mystery is further complicated by the dearth of available fossils from the critical period between 505 million and 430 million years ago. This has made genealogical research easier. must.”

Abundant cetapedites. Image credit: Lustri other., doi: 10.1038/s41467-024-48013-w.

Dr. Rustri and his co-authors collected fossils of euchelicerate from the 478-million-year-old Fezouata Shale in Morocco, and found that the modern-day euchelicerate and the Cambrian (505 million-year-old) We identified a new species that binds the eucheris cerate.

with scientific name Abundant cetapeditesthe body length of this species was 0.5-1 cm.

“This animal makes it possible for the first time to trace the entire lineage of Euchelicerates, from the appearance of early arthropods to modern spiders, scorpions and horseshoe crabs,” Dr Rustri said.

“Initially, we just wanted to describe this fossil and give it a name.”

“I had no idea it would hold so many secrets.”

“It was therefore an exciting surprise to discover, after careful observation and analysis, that it also fills an important gap in the evolutionary tree of life.”

“Yet, this fossil has not yet revealed all its secrets,” he added.

“Indeed, some of its anatomical features allow for a deeper understanding of the early evolution of the eucherycerate group and perhaps link other fossil forms to this group, the similarities of which are still hotly debated. It is even possible.”

of result appear in the diary nature communications.

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L. Rustri other. 2024. Late Ordovician syndiphosrines reveal the diversity and evolution of early euchelicerates. Nat Commune 15, 3808; doi: 10.1038/s41467-024-48013-w

Source: www.sci.news