Fossils of Terrestrial Apex Predators Dating Back Six Million Years Unearthed in the Dominican Republic

Posted on May 1, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

A recent study conducted by the Florida Museum of Natural History reveals that this apex predator is a type of Cebucid crocodile with origins in South America.

The Cebushid crocodile ruled the South American landscape after the dinosaurs vanished, remaining dominant until roughly 11 million years ago. Image credit: Jorge Mackey.

The sebecids were the last survivors of notosuchia, a large and varied group of extinct crocodiles with fossil records that trace back to the era of dinosaurs.

Notosuchians exhibited a wide range of sizes, diets, and habitats, distinguishing themselves from their alligator relatives, as most inhabited terrestrial environments.

The Sevecid behaved like a carnivorous dinosaur, sprinting with four long, agile limbs and tearing flesh with its notorious teeth.

Some species were equipped with protective armor made of bone plates embedded in the skin, reaching lengths of up to 6 m (20 feet).

The catastrophic mass extinction at the end of the Cretaceous period, which eradicated non-avian dinosaurs, also nearly led to the extinction of the notosuchians.

In South America, only the Sevecids survived post-dinosaurs, quickly ascending to the role of apex predators.

The open waters separating the Caribbean islands from the South American mainland posed significant challenges for the Sevensids when it came to swimming.

In a new research effort, paleontologist Jonathan Bloch and his colleagues from the Florida Museum of Natural History analyzed vertebrae from fossilized teeth and spinal vertebrae dating back six million years, collected from the Paleopoultry 1 site in Savanna Grande de Boya, Dominican Republic.

“Our first question upon discovering these teeth in the Dominican Republic and other Caribbean islands was: what could they be?” Dr. Bloch mentioned.

The team also examined 18 million-year-old teeth found in Cuba and 29 million-year-old specimens from Puerto Rico.

“The fossils suggested evidence supporting the Girllandia hypothesis,” they noted.

This theory posits that a temporary land bridge or chain of islands enabled the migration from South America to the Caribbean.

“If the serrated teeth found in other Caribbean islands also belong to the Sevecid, the history of these giant reptiles stretches beyond just the Dominican Republic.”

“They would have played a significant role in shaping the ecosystems of this region for millions of years. However, today, evidence of large terrestrial predators is scarce.”

“In their absence, smaller endemic predators like birds, snakes, and crocodiles have evolved to fill gaps in the food chain,” he added.

“We could not have predicted this just by studying modern ecosystems,” Dr. Bloch remarked.

“The presence of large predators greatly differs from our previous assumptions, and it’s thrilling to explore what further discoveries might await in the Caribbean fossil record.”

The team’s paper was published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B.

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Lázaro W. Viñola López et al. 2025. The South American Sevecid from the Miocene of Hispaniola documents the presence of apex predators in the ecosystems of the Early West Indies. Proc. R. Soc. B 292 (2045): 20242891; doi: 10.1098/rspb.2024.2891

Source: www.sci.news

Crafting Fashion Accessories Inspired by Real T. Rex Fossils

Posted on April 30, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

Eighty million years ago, the formidable 40-foot-long Tyrannosaurus Rex ruled the earth. Now, it may soon inspire a new kind of wallet.

A team of British researchers and bioengineers is working on high-end clutches and totes made from T. rex skin, cultivated from the fossilized remains of ancient carnivorous creatures.

Their goal is to create sustainable leather by extracting collagen from this colossal dinosaur, known to have roamed North America and Asia about 68 million years ago. If they succeed, it would mark the first instance of leather derived from an extinct species.

The project’s developers assert that their lab-grown materials will be entirely biodegradable and structurally identical to conventional leather. Choi Conon, a professor of tissue engineering at Newcastle University, commented on the initiative.

Conon is also associated with a Biotechnology Company. Lab-grown leather is in collaboration with the Dutch creative agency VML and the genomic engineering firm The Organoid Company.

“This opens the door to designing leather from prehistoric origins,” stated Connon, a key leader in the project.

While Connon and his team are targeting the fashion sector, market data providers Fortune Business Insights predicts that the global leather goods market, valued at $500 billion, could reach $85.5 billion by 2032.

However, experts caution that immediate results may not be forthcoming. The commercialization of lab-grown T. rex leather could be financially prohibitive.

According to Tom Ellis, a professor of synthetic genomic engineering at Imperial College in London, the “gimmick” is still “very early.” He noted, “Our understanding of dinosaur evolution may not be sufficient to design collagen genes specifically from T. rex.”

Ellis emphasized that producing authentic T. rex leather is still a long way off, suggesting that any collagen derived from the project would likely resemble that of cows and chickens.

This means the end product may resemble other alternative leathers. “We’ll offer something unique enough to justify a significantly higher price,” he added.

In theory, scientists can extract collagen gene sequences from various animals, as collagen is the most abundant protein in mammals. Companies like Gelter and modern pastures are already crafting leather-like materials from genetically engineered collagen, producing small batches of premium products.

If achieved, sustainably crafted animal leather could have notable environmental advantages. Currently, most leather is a byproduct of the cattle industry, contributing to deforestation in regions like the Amazon. Additionally, many synthetic and vegan leathers are made from fossil-fuel-derived plastics that are not biologically sustainable. According to the World Wide Fund.

As scientists ponder the potential for dinosaur wallets, fashion enthusiasts should take a moment to consider whether they should indulge in such products.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

Discovery of fossils of 113 million fiery ants in Brazil

Posted on April 25, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

Paleontologists describe the oldest known members of Haidomyrmecinae – An extinct subfamily of ants that were only during the Cretaceous period – preserved as an impression of limestone rocks in the Krato Formation in northeastern Brazil.

Vulcanidris cratensisholotype. Scale bar – 2 mm. Image credit: Lepeco et al. , doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2025.03.023.

It has been named Vulcanidris cratensisthe new ant species lived 113 million years ago (early Cretaceous period).

This species represents the oldest and most definitive ant known in science, and is also the most complete evidence of the early evolution of ants in the fossil record.

“Vulcanidris cratensis The author, Dr. Anson Lepeco, a paleontologist at Dr. Zloria da Universad de Sao Paulo, stated:

“What makes this discovery particularly interesting is its belong to an extinct “hell ant”, known for its strange predatory adaptation. ”

“Even though it is part of an ancient lineage, the species already exhibits highly specialized anatomical features, suggesting unique hunting behaviors.”

The oldest previous ants were found in France and Myanmar and were preserved in amber instead of limestone.

The presence of hell ants in Brazil indicates that ants are already widely distributed and diversified early in their evolution.

“There was an hell ants explained by Amber, and this was the first time I could visualize them in a rock fossil,” Dr. Lepeco said.

Dr. Lepeco and his colleagues discovered a very well-preserved Ant specimen and systematically examined one of the world’s largest collections of fossil insects from. Krato Layera deposit known for its exceptional fossil preservation.

“When we encountered this extraordinary specimen, we quickly recognized its importance not only as a new species, but also as a potentially conclusive evidence of ants in the Krato Formation,” Dr. Lepeco said.

“The finding highlights the importance of a thorough investigation of existing collections either privately or in museums, and highlights the fauna of Brazilian paleontology and the country’s unexposed fossil insects.”

Using microcomputed tomography imaging, paleontologists discovered it Vulcanidris cratensis It was previously closely related to hell ants, known only from specimens preserved in Burma mber, Myanmar.

This finding shows that ants must have been widely distributed worldwide and repeatedly crossed Cretaceous lands.

But what surprised them most was the professional traits of Hell’s Ants.

“We were hoping to find the features of the hellish ant, but we were shocked by the features of the feeding device,” Dr. Lepeco said.

“Unlike modern ants with laterally moving mandibles, this species had a mandible with face and face projections running forward in front of their head and eyes.”

“Finding such anatomically specialized ants for 113 million years ago challenges our assumptions about how quickly and complex adaptations these insects have developed.”

“The complex forms suggest that even these early ants had evolved sophisticated plundering strategies that were already very different from their modern counterparts.”

“The discovery of this new ant specimen raises broader questions about the evolutionary pressures that have led to the unique adaptation of hell’s ants.”

“Advanced imaging tools allow us to explore these fossil specimens in greater detail than ever before.”

Discovery of Vulcanidris cratensis Reported in a paper It’s published in the journal today Current Biology.

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Anderson Repeco et al. Ants from Hell from the Lower Cretaceous period in Brazil. Current BiologyPublished online on April 24, 2025. doi:10.1016/j.cub.2025.03.023

Source: www.sci.news

Exploring the Origins of Underground Freshwater Vesicles Through 125-Million-Year-Old Fossils

Posted on April 22, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

New genus and species of the Simotoidan isopod, which lived in the early Cretaceous period, have been identified from two well-conserved specimens found in Lebanon. Originating from the environment of freshwater lakes, this isopod provides an unconventional perspective on the evolutionary origins of Simotoids inhabiting living caves and groundwater.

Reconstruction of paleoenvironmental habitats Dysopodus gezei (Foreground): Valemian freshwater lake in the current Bkassine region of Lebanon. Image credit: Aldrich Hezekiah.

Dysopodus gezei He lived in a shallow freshwater lake in Lebanon (Epoch of the early Cretaceous period) about 125 million years ago.

This creature had an elongated body and was more than twice its width (total length 1.8-2.5 cm).

That was a type Isopodorder of crustaceans, including both aquatic and locally populated species.

“Isopoda is a diverse group of Malacostracan crustaceans, including more than 10,000 described organisms,” said Dr. Mario Södel, a paleontologist at the Senkenberg Centre at the University of Tenbingen, and his colleagues.

“Most living species lie in a variety of marine environments ranging from deep waters to sandy beaches and rocky coasts.”

“Isopoda can be considered primarily as a marine group, and it is most likely that the latest ancestor of all isopods is ocean.”

“But there are also many isopods that live outside the marine realm.”

“The species-rich group of isopodas – oniscidea – houses over 3,800 species, most of which live in a variety of fully terrestrial habitats.”

“Apart from the marine and terrestrial environments, isopods also live in brackish and freshwater environments, with about 1,000 described species living in freshwater.”

“Isopods have freshwater habitats colonized in multiple independent habitats, with a wide variety of different species in freshwater habitats, ranging from old to in some cases highly species-rich groups to single phylogenetically isolated species.”

Dysopodus gezei There were strong similarities to the living non-parasitic strains of Cirolanidaea group of isopods within subordered Shimotoida.

“The Shimotoida is a group of isopods that contain scavengers, predators, microrelets and parasites,” the paleontologist said.

“In this, finely repaired and parasitic species can form natural groups.”

“With Timotoida, many freshwater species are parasites that are likely to enter freshwater habitat along with hosts, either fish or crustaceans.”

“There are many representatives of Shimotoida (Shimotoida people – not confused with Shimotoids) throughout their lifetimes that are neither micropredata nor parasites.”

“These are often referred to as Cirolanidae, a group of morphologically distinct isopods.”

Dysopodus gezeiholotype. Image credits: Shadell et al. , doi: 10.1098/rsos.241512.

Two specimens of Dysopodus gezei It was excavated in Lebanon in 2003 and 2023.

“The specimen was found at the Lebanese Disol in Jdeidet Bkassine,” the researchers said.

“These layers correspond to finely stacked, organically rich deposits harvested in five mining areas within the Grace Duriban Alloformation, one in the north of Lebanon, one in the center, and three regions in southern Lebanon.

“All evidence shows a series of small shallow lakes and marsh areas near the volcanic buildings.”

The rarity of living freshwater silolanide species emphasizes the importance of discovery Dysopodus gezei As an extinct species that supports true freshwater archaeological fabrics, it not only has its history of evolution on earth, but also of the evolution of underground freshwater species.

“The discovery of new fossils represents the rare discovery of fossil isopods from freshwater habitats,” the scientist said.

“This places a new perspective on the origins of the existing non-parasitic freshwater simotoid people.”

“This finding does not disprove the colonization of cave and groundwater habitats through the cutting of underground species by regressing coastlines, but the presence of freshwater Simotoids in the eastern Tethian region during the early Cretaceous period gives a different light to the origins of living freshwater animals.”

“Additional specimens of this species may provide more morphological details, as they may maintain fine morphological details, and can then be used to draw more accurate conclusions between Cretaceous freshwater species and existing cave and groundwater fauna.”

Survey results Published in the April 2025 issue of the journal Royal Society Open Science.

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Mario Shadell et al. 2025. Freshwater isopods from 125 million years ago shed new light on the origins of underground freshwater species. R. Soc. Open SCI 12(4): 241512; doi: 10.1098/rsos.241512

Source: www.sci.news

Fossils of Pleistocene-age Denisova Homo Species Discovered in Taiwan

Posted on April 11, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

According to an analysis of ancient proteins, the 190,000-10,000 fossil mandibles found in the Taiwanese Pengu Channel in the 2000s belonged to male Denisovan. The findings provide direct evidence that Denisovan occupied a diverse climate, from the cold Siberian mountains to the warm, humid subtropical latitudes of Taiwan.

The concept of artist Peng Denisovan walking under the bright sun during the Pleistocene of Taiwan. Image credit: Cheng-Han Sun.

“Recent discoveries and reanalysis of fossil specimens, along with the application of molecular technology and new dating methods, revealed unexpected diversity among the archaic Hymonin of mid- to late Pleistocene East Asia before the arrival of modern humans.”

“Identifying Denisovan is an important example of such advances.”

“Denisovan was recognized as a group of humankinds that differ from Neanderthals and modern humans by analyzing fragmentary bone and teeth DNA excavated from Denisova Caves in the Altai Mountains of Siberia.”

“Their nuclear genome shows that Denisovan formed its own clade as a sister group of Neanderthals, forming a calculated genome difference between the two clades that occurred more than 400,000 years ago.”

“Genetic evidence also shows the flow of genes between Denisovans, modern people, and Neanderthals.”

“Studies of incorporated denisova DNA in modern human populations suggest the existence of multiple genomically distinct denisova populations, once distributed across Asia in the eastern part of the continent and perhaps part of the islands Southeast Asia.”

“However, outside the Denisova caves, direct molecular evidence of Denisovan has been found only from a single site on the Tibetan Plateau.”

“In Baishiya Karst Cave in Xiahe, the mandible and rib bone are identified as denisovan based on protein sequence.”

With label Penguo 1New Denisovan fossils were collected in the 2000s through drage activities related to commercial fishing from the seabed (60-120 m) about 25 km from Taiwan’s west coast.

The area is located 4,000 km southeast of Denisova’s Caves and 2,000 km southeast of Baishayakarst Caves.

It was part of the Asian mainland during the low sea level episodes of Pleistocene.

“Penghu 1 is under 450,000 years old, with the most likely age range from 10,000 to 70,000 or 130,000 to 190,000 years old, depending on the content of trace elements, biostratigraphic evidence, and past changes in sea level,” the researchers said.

“Direct uranium dating of Penghu 1 failed due to the effects of uranium from seawater.”

Using ancient proteomic analysis, Dr. Tsutaya and his colleagues extracted proteins from bone and dental enamel from the fossils, recovering 4,241 amino acid residues.

These variants are rare in modern human populations, but are more common in areas associated with the genetic temptation of Denisovan.

Furthermore, morphological analysis of Penghu 1 reveals a robust jaw structure with large molars and distinctive root structures. This is a feature consistent with the properties found in Tibetan Denisovan specimens, suggesting that these properties are lineage and possibly gender characteristics.

“It is clear that two contrasting groups of Hymonin – the small-tooth Neanderthal with tall but flexible mandibles and the low but robust mandible (as a population or as a male character) coexist during the late mid- and early Pleistocene Eurasia,” the scientists said.

“The latter form is rare or absent in neonatal fossils from Africa and Eurasia, and is therefore not a primitive retention that is likely developed or enhanced, as it was probably developed or enhanced in Deniso Banklade, after genetic separation from Neanderthals more than 400,000 years ago.”

“Recent discoveries of the island from Southeast Asia (Homo Flores Ensis and Homo Lusonensis) and South AfricaHomona Lady) highlights the diverse evolution of the genus Homoin contrast to the strain Homo sapiens. ”

“The Dentgrat morphology of Dennisovan can be interpreted as another such distinct evolution that took place in our genus.”

result It was published in the journal today Science.

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Takumi Tsutaya et al. 2025. Mandible Denisovan from Pleistocene Taiwan. Science 388 (6743): 176-180; doi: 10.1126/science.ads3888

Source: www.sci.news

Newly discovered fossils of the iguanodon dinosaur found in Portugal

Posted on April 10, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

Portuguese paleontologists have discovered several specimens of the large Ankiroprolexian Iguanodon (late Jurassic epoch) that lived 150 million years ago.

A massive reconstruction of the Iguanodon dinosaur of Ankiropolo Lexia interacting with a late Jurassic boy in the late European period. Image credit: Vitor Carvalho.

New dinosaur fossils have been found in various regions of the Lusitania Basin in western Portugal.

One of the specimens labeled shn.jjs.015 is Ankiroporo Lexia, a mysterious group of herbivores Iguanodontian dinosaur. It lived from the Late Jurassic to the Late Cretaceous period in North America, Europe, Africa, and Asia.

“That was a surprise,” said Dr. Filippo Maria Rotetri, a Geobiotech paleontologist, at the University of Nova de Lisboa and the Museum’s Da Rourinha.

“We believed that the diversity of this dinosaur group was already well documented in the late Jurassic of Portugal, but this discovery shows that there is still much to learn and that exciting discoveries could continue to emerge in the near future.”

“Unfortunately, due to the limited amount of recovered materials, it is not yet possible to assign a formal scientific name to this species.”

“It was heavyweight,” added Dissancia, professor Fernando Escaso, a paleontologist at Exaicon University.

“When we estimated its size and weight, we found that this new dinosaur is much bulkier than other Iguanodon species. Draconyx or eousdryosaurus, it is likely that they share ecosystems.”

Paleontologists also excavated a series of small, isolated bones in the same Lucitane basin.

These fossils may represent the same species of Ankiroprolexia Iguanodon dinosaur, just like shn.jjs.015.

“The explanation of shn.jjs.015 adds new members of Ankiroporolexia to the inadequately known Jurassic Iguanodonn fauna of Iberian land, and at least at the bottom of the Titonian (149-143 million years ago), three medium-sized European countries (143 million years ago), from Europe, three medium-sized ankiropound Europe. The researchers said.

Furthermore, it supports the interpretation of Iguanodon diversification early discovered by Europe in the late Jurassic, and demonstrates the fundamental role of Iberian land in achieving a better understanding of biogeographic patterns. ”

Survey results It will be displayed in Journal of Systematic Palaeontology.

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Filippo Maria Rotatori et al. 2025. Evidence of a large Ankiropolar Lexian dinosaur (Ornithischia: Iguanodontia) in the Upper Jurassic of Portugal. Journal of Systematic Palaeontology 23(1): 2470789; doi: 10.1080/14772019.2025.2470789

Source: www.sci.news

Insightful Discoveries: New Fossils Shed Light on Plesiosaurus Diversity and Local Adaptations

Posted on April 3, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

German paleontologists have unearthed a very well-preserved skeleton of the early Jornaian plesiosauloid species Plesioptery Wildi.

MH 7 Skeleton Plesioptery Wildi Abdominal view. Image credit: Marx et al. , doi: 10.7717/peerj.18960.

From a global perspective, the early Jurassic was characterized by the steady division of the Supercontinent Pangaea and associated climate change that produced alternating greenhouses and ice house conditions.

These paleoenvironmental changes coincided with radiation in various reptile groups. Plesiosauria.

The early Jurassic fossil records of the Plesiosaurus are particularly diverse, with members of Plesiosauroidea, Pliosauridae and Rhomaleosauridae being represented by numerous species in Europe, particularly in Germany and the UK.

3 m long skeleton Plesioptery Wildi It provides new clues about the evolution and geographical distribution of early Jurassic Precio Sources.

Fossils that were 180 million years ago posidonienschiefer layer Near Holtzmadden in southern Germany.

The specimen, called MH 7, is one of the most complete and distinct plesioaurus skeletons found in the region.

“Unlike the fishy scallions and marine crocodile parents who dominate the fossil record of this formation, Pleciosaurus is relatively rare,” said Miguel Marx, a paleontologist at Lund University and his colleagues.

“Therefore, new discoveries offer rare glimpses into the biodiversity of these long-necked marine reptiles.”

“MH 7 represents someone who refines this type of known trait and refines its validity as a clear taxa.”

Phylogenetic analysis shows that Plesioptery Wildi It is a close-related early potential plesiosaualoid Franconiasaurus Brevispinus.

“This finding suggests a progressive evolutionary transition to more derived cryptocrizids in the late Jurassic period,” the paleontologist said.

“It supports the idea that Prisiosaurus species may have been regionally different in the Epicontoninent Seas of early Jurassic Europe, reinforcing the pattern of paleobiogeographic segregation.”

“The Holtzmadden specimen gives us an unprecedented view Plesioptery Wildi At a more mature stage of development, we can refine our understanding of this species and its place in the evolution of plesiosaurus,” said Dr. Marx.

“It also suggests that different plesiosaurus communities may have evolved in different regions of the European sea during the early Jurassic region.”

“Our research reinforces the Pleciosoaurus already evolves specialized adaptations and distinct regional lineages much faster than we believed,” added Dr. Sven Sachs, a researcher at the Naturkunde Museum Bielefeld.

“This has important implications for understanding how marine reptiles responded to changes in the Jurassic ocean environment.”

study Published in the journal Peerj.

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M. Marx et al. 2025. New specimen of Plesioptery Wildi We reveal the diversification and possible uniqueness of Cryptocrizia precursors in the early European Jurassic Plecioaurauro assembly. Peerj 13:E18960; doi:10.7717/peerj.18960

Source: www.sci.news

Eggshell Fossils of Dinosaurs and Crocodiles from 100 Million Years Ago Unearthed in Utah

Posted on March 29, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

A team of paleontologists from Lake Forest College, Stellenbosch University, University of Minnesota, and North Carolina State University described a new population of fossil eggshells, members of the formation of cedar mountains, a well-known unit among scientists studying early lobular epochs.

A 100 million-year-old dinosaur eggshell fragment from a Mussantit member of Cedar Mountain Formation. Image credit: Lake Forest College.

The first fossil eggshells from Mussantit members of Cedar Mountain Formation were described over 50 years ago.

Since then, in half a century, the diversity of fossil eggshells in this rock unit has been limited to only one egg type.

However, Dr. Josh Hedge and his colleagues at Lake Forest College revealed another story.

“We found new dinosaur egg types here and here, which we didn’t see before,” Dr. Hedge said.

“When previous research explained one type, we found five types of eggshells in this area.”

“Three eggshell fragments belonging to the feathered bipedal dinosaur, two types of dinosaurs with dinosaurs with ornitopod ducks, and a truly funky discovery: some crocodile eggshells.”

These new discoveries challenge the traditional view of one of the different types of dinosaurs that live in ecosystems.

“You can see patterns of coexisting dinosaurs,” Dr. Hedge said.

“Just as multiple big cat-loving animals coexist in Africa’s savanna, we can see the co-occurrence of similar types of dinosaurs in one geographical area.”

Researchers hope to uncover information that will lead to a better understanding of ecosystems 100 million years ago.

They are currently researching ways to better understand these oviraptorosaur eggs.

“We found so many eggshells, so we hope that we can distinguish between individuals who share a single nest, not just the species, for example, because we have sample sizes large enough to interpret them at a higher resolution,” Dr. Hedge said.

Team’s paper Published online in the journal PLOS 1.

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J. Hedge et al. 2025. Diversity of fossil eggshells from Mussentuchit members of Cedar Mountain Formation, Utah. PLOS 1 20(2): E0314689; doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0314689

Source: www.sci.news

Amber Fossils: Create in 24 Hours, Not Millions of Years

Posted on March 24, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

Amber is a slow specimen that holds ancient water, bubbles, plants, insects, and even more unusual specimens, coveted around the world as both a container of gems and prehistoric debris bird.

Usually, amber forms for millions of years as wood resins become fossilized, but paleontologists are energizing it, creating amber fossils from pine resin in 24 hours. This technique can help clarify as Amber’s biochemistry is formed. This is a process that remains hidden in prehistoric mist.

It was released on Monday JournalScientific Reportsthe results of the rapid experiment are similar to meals made in a pressure cooker. “It’s similar to Instapot,” said Evan Saitta, a researcher at the Field Museum in Chicago and co-author of the paper.

The synthetic amber recipe began with Chicago Botanical Garden Pine Resin. Dr. Saitta and his co-author, independent paleontologist Thomas Kaye, placed a half-inch sediment disc with Mr. Kaye embedded in which the resin was constructed using a medical tablet compressor, an air canister and other cleaned parts.

By heating the sample and applying pressure, researchers were trying to simulate the product. This was trying to limit the slow, wet physical and chemical transformations needed to the rock before sediments could be integrated into the rock.

“Making it is the ultimate hurdle you need to pass to become a fossil,” said Dr. Saita. “It’s kind of the last boss.”

Although some samples produced by the researchers were incomplete, the physical properties of some ambers include darker colours, fractures, dehydration, and increased gloss.

The two also realized that they started with the wrong family of pine trees. Amber, the most frequently studied in paleontology, is a scientist, and its group of trees is Only living relatives are Japanese umbrella pine.

Maria McNamara, a paleontologist at University College Cork in Ireland, said future experiments should test additional plant types as they were not involved in the study.

“What we really want to handle is that the resin polymerizes faster,” she said. She also pointed out that accelerated chemical analysis of Amber is necessary to know how close it is to the real thing. “Wood resin survives, but requires proper and complete chemical properties,” she said.

Regarding the limitations of all research, Dr. McNamara said fossil simulation is an increasingly important area of research. Recreated by some paleontologists Bone or tissue collapse To explore the effects of microbial organisms. In her lab, the researcher said,Thermal mature specimen Investigate the conservation of biological molecules under heat.

Without such simulations, “we just trust the fossil records,” she said. “Experiments can help tell facts from fiction and determine the extent to which the fossil records are lying.”

Dr. Saita tried other simulations. In 2018 he buried him. Finch In wet deposits, see how it compresses. It was awkward and failed. However, after working with Kaye on a pressure cooker device, they managed to study the previous stages of fossilization. Leaf, feather, lizard feet. For example, in these specimens, keratin from the feathers leached out in feathers, leaving behind a dark, melanin-like engraving similar to fossilized feathers. (At the conference, Dr. Saitta said he likes to test other paleontologists and find the visual difference between analogues and real fossils.)

In future amber experiments, Dr. Saita aims to embed insects, wings, or plants in the resin. One reason why this can be proven useful is that the actual specimen is valuable, meaning it is a trade of thousands of dollars, making disruptive analysis unfeasible. “Preserved insects in synthetic amber would not be valuable because it is made in the laboratory,” Dr. Saita said.

Researchers also plan to apply pressure on decayed organic matter and adapt the technology to simulate geological weathering. This will capture more fossilization stages more realistically.

Looking further, experimental fossilization techniques allow scientists to even explore the fossils of the future, Dr. Saitta said. How does life in the Anthropocene become fossilized? What happens to tissue or bones that have been injected with microplastics or industrial heavy metals?

We are not here in millions of years from now. However, using devices like pressure aids can get you closer.

Source: www.nytimes.com

Fossils of Miyashita from 147 million years ago found in the UK

Posted on March 23, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

Paleontologists discovered and described the new ctenochasmatid pterosaurian mandible from the late Jurassic Portland limestone formations in southern England.

Reconstruction of the life of ctenochasmatid pterosaur Gladocephaloideus jingangshanensis. Image credit: Zhao Chuang.

“In the Upper Jurassic Formation of England, poverty is rare and consists primarily of isolated bones and bone fragments,” said Roy Smith and David Martill, paleontologists at Portsmouth.

“Many records of the late Jurassic Palace in England are merely historical interests, and now contain species named. Nomina Dubeer. ”

“Nevertheless, some materials are diagnostic and some species stand the test of time.”

“Most of the Upper Jurassic palaces in England come from the Kimmeridge Clay Formation in southern England, with events from the Oxford portion of Oxford clay formation in southern and eastern England, and one event from the Kinmeridge Clay Formation in Scotland.”

“In spite of this lack of material, there was a near-complete skull with some of the associated materials. Cuspicephalus scarfi In areas of the Kimmeridgian stage type. ”

The new Pterosaurus specimen is the mandible with at least two, perhaps three teeth.

The fossils date back to the Titonian period, in the late Jurassic period, about 147 million years ago.

It represents the youngest geologically in the UK Jurassic palace.

“The specimen is an isolated mandible that lacks most of the post-Simfisil section of the lam,” the paleontologist said.

“Because of the mandible, which is very thin and compact and elongated, it has been identified as Pterosaurus.”

New specimens found in Portland Limestone Formations in Dorset, southern England.

This represents the first pterocortic material documented, described and proposed from this layer.

“The specimens are likely first discovered when the stones were divided using a standard “feather and wedge” procedure,” the researchers said.

“This caused damage to the central part of the specimen, but the jaw split along its length also damaged the specimen. It appears that the counterpart has not been recovered.”

The lack of diagnostic function prevents introduction to known or new species of fossils, but it can be confidently assigned to the Pterosaur clade Ctenochasmatoidea.

“The ctenochasmatoids are a diverse group of pterosaurs with prominent, most genus, as they are prominent in long, sometimes dorsal curved jaws and elongated, thin teeth,” the scientist said.

“It’s true, one form, South America Pterodaustrois in the longest teeth in terms of the diameter length ratio of the tetrapod. ”

“Basal anthelminthus bacterium” Pterodactylus antiquus and ctenochasmatoid Ardeadactylus longicolumBoth have short conical teeth with wider alveolar spacing than the Titonian period. ”

“The elongated, thin mandible bone and numerous closely spaced alveoli suggest that it is a member of Ctenochasmatidae.”

“The faint central ridge of the occlusal surface between the two grooves converges to the anterior groove, and the lack of a distinct anterior chamber suggests that the specimen is part of the mandibular intermembranes.”

“This is the first documented record of the wing glands from the Portland group in England.”

Survey results It was released this month Proceedings of the Geologists Association.

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Roy E. Smith and David M. Martill. ctenochasmatid pterosaur from the Portland Limestone Formation (Late Jurassic, Titonian) in southern England. Proceedings of the Geologists Associationpublished online 20255l doi: 10.1016/j.pgeola.2025.101100

Source: www.sci.news

Chinese researchers have uncovered 125 million Scorpion fossils

Posted on March 8, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

Paleontologists describe new genus and species of extinct scorpions from the early Cretaceous Ixia Formation in China.

Jeholia Longkengi It is China's first Mesozoic scorpion. Image credit: Jie Sun/Xuan et al. , doi: 10.1016/j.scib.2025.01.035.

It has been named Jeholia LongkengiThe new species lived around 125 million years ago (early Cretaceous period).

The fossilized scorpion ruins are Yixian Layer In the village of Heishangou in Chifen City, Nei Mongolia, China.

“Scorpions belong to the Arachnida class within the arthropod and have a relatively small number of fossil records,” said Dr. Qiang Xuan, a researcher at the Institute of Geology and Paleontology and a researcher of excellence for the excellence of life and paleoenvironment at the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

“Early scorpions came from the Midsilurian era, and at least some of them are interpreted as transient forms from sea to land.”

“Even though they are among the early terrestrial arthropods, fossils and living scorpions retain mostly conservative body plans.”

“Mesozoic scorpions are primarily from the Burmese system in the Middle Cretaceous, but compressed scorpion fossils that usually accumulate in the hierarchy are relatively rare, except for late Triassic Cuper sandstone formation in England and late Cretaceous Krato formation in Brazil.”

“Three fossil scorpions, including the Miocene scorpion, have been reported from China Sinoscorpius Shandongensis From Devonian Scorpion, County Chandon Hubeiscorpio gracilitarsis From Hubei Province and Permian Scorpion Eoscorpius sp. From Uda, Nei Mongol. ”

Jeholia Longkengi He was a member of the early Cretaceous terrestrial ecosystem known as Jehoru Biotait is internationally renowned for the discovery of exceptional fossils, including feathered dinosaurs, early birds, diverse mammals, pterosaurs, and several arthropod fossils.

“The Jehol Biota is one of the most important and prolific fossil sites for studying early Cretaceous life,” the paleontologist said.

“No previous fossil scorpions have been recorded despite many fossil species being reported.”

The full length of Jeholia Longkengi It was about 10 cm (4 inches). It is larger than other Mesozoic scorpions and considerably larger than many living scorpions.

“Jeholia Longkengi They may feed primarily a variety of insects, including herbivorous, omnivorous, corrosive, fungal and predatory species that are common in gel biotas, and perhaps spiders, frogs, small salamanders, lizards and mammals,” the researchers said.

“We recommend that potential natural enemies of this Cretaceous scorpion include dinosaurs, birds and mammals, according to previously reported Jehol Biota food web model.”

“However, there is no fossil record for the oral sector, so speculation about their feeding habits is in the preliminary stage.”

“Middle centrality is a metric that quantifies the importance of a node in connecting other nodes in the network,” they added.

“It plays a pivotal role in assessing the extent to which a node acts as a bridge and linking other nodes in the network.”

“In Jehor's Biota Food Network, large scorpions exhibit the highest intermediate centrality of all guilds, highlighting the possibility that fossil scorpions had extensive ecological interactions with other species of early terrestrial ecosystems.”

“Our findings contribute to new insights into the complexity of Yel Biota's food web,” they concluded.

Team's paper Published in the journal Science news.

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Qiang Xuan et al. The first Mesozoic scorpion from China and its ecological meaning. Science newsPublished online on January 24th, 2025. doi: 10.1016/j.scib.2025.01.035

Source: www.sci.news

48 million years ago, Palm fossils in subwestern Canada suggest a winter without ice

Posted on February 21, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

Tribal palm trees Trachycarpeae Fossilization analysis shows that it once flourished in Axiang Canada Phytris – Microscopic siliceous structures produced in specific tissues in many plant families – from the territory of the northwestern Canada.

Palm plant stones from the Eocene Giraffe Region (AQ) and modern plant stones extracted from Coryphoid Palm leaves Trachycarpus Fortunei. Image credit: Siver et al. , doi: 10.1093/aob/mcaf021.

“The palm is a monocot flowering plant of the Arecaceae family distributed primarily to tropical and subtropical regions around the world,” the University of Connecticut said. Professor Peter Siver And his colleague.

“It's a large family, with a particularly high variety of species, especially in Central and South America and Southeast Asia.”

“In general, the palms thrive in warm, wet conditions, so the majority of the species are found in rainforests.”

“There are significantly fewer species found in both Southern Europe and the southern regions of the United States, and families are completely lacking in more north latitudes.”

“In the southeastern US subtropical area, the palm is largely restricted to state coastal areas along the Gulf of Mexico, and some inland along the Atlantic coast that stretches north along Florida. It's growing to Tennessee.”

“The majority of the palms are found in climates marked with both high average annual temperatures and high average annual rainfall, but several species can be found under cool, dry conditions.”

Professor Siver and co-authors discovered fossilized plant matter from a tree in Trachycarpeae in ancient lakebed sediments extracted from the area of the Giraffin Balite Pipe in Canada's northwest territory.

Four aquatic organisms, largely restricted to today's warm subtropical and tropical regions, were also found in the same sediments.

These 48 million years ago (early Eocene) fossils exhibit much warmer climates than previously thought, challenging the challenge of ice that first formed in the Northern Hemisphere.

“This discovery of palm fossils in the north provides clear evidence that the Arctic Circle was once iceless and has a climate similar to today's subtropical climate,” Professor Shiver said.

“These findings provide a window into past greenhouse conditions and help refine models to predict future climate change.”

In addition to confirming records of the northernmost palms during this period, the authors established that this evolutionary characteristic appeared in the early Eocene: linear arrays of plant matter in palm leaves., Fossilized Stegmata – Fossilized Stegmata were also recorded.

The presence of multiple warm, adaptive aquatic species further strengthens the support of this prehistoric Arctic region's lush, temperate ecosystem.

“Our research contributes to a broader understanding of the extent and timing of ice formation in the Earth's climate history, particularly during the Cenozoic era,” the researchers said.

“Restructuring these past environments will give scientists valuable insight into how ecosystems respond to long-term climate change.”

Survey results It will be displayed in the journal The Anniversary of Botany.

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Peter A. Shiver et al. Palmphytris in sub-Western Canada means ice-free winter in the late Eocene period 48 million years ago. The Anniversary of BotanyPublished online on February 10th, 2025. doi:10.1093/aob/mcaf021

Source: www.sci.news

Chinese Jurassic bird fossils challenge traditional theories of bird evolution.

Posted on February 13, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

Excavated in southeastern China, fossils of Jurassic birds are said to have a significant impact on the history of bird evolution, according to researchers.

The recently discovered Baminolis Zengensis, a bird the size of a quail, flew in the skies approximately 150 million years ago during the Jurassic period. A study about it was published on Wednesday in the Nature Journal. In essence, it is one of the oldest known birds to humanity, alongside the iconic Archeopteryx found in Germany in 1862 and of a similar age.

“For over 150 years, Archeopteryx has stood alone,” said Steve Bursatte, a paleontologist at the University of Edinburgh. Further explanation on the research accompanied this statement.

“All this time, it has remained as the sole unsuspecting bird fossil from the Jurassic era,” he mentioned to NBC News via email.

While other bird-like Jurassic fossils were found, there was a “significant mystery and frustrating gap” in the fossil record, according to Bursatte. So, where were their fossils?

The 2023 discovery of Baminornis in Zhenghe County, Fujian Province, China, filled that gap and became one of the most important discoveries since Archeopteryx, labeling it as “the second unsuspecting bird from the Jurassic era.”

Unlike the half-bird, half-reptile that had a long, thin tail resembling a velociraptor, Baminonis had a short tail where some vertebrae fused into short, sturdy nubins pushing the body center towards the wings, similar to modern birds for better flying.

Until the discovery of Baminoris, short tails were only found in birds known to have lived around 20 million years later, such as Eoconfuciusornis and Protopteryx.

Brusatte expressed excitement that Baminoris was more advanced than Archeopteryx and could fly much better.

Baminornis was more anatomically complex than Archeopteryx, being a “primitive” bird with claws and sharp teeth resembling dinosaur ancestors.

The discovery of two similarly aged birds about 5,500 miles apart led the nature research team to believe that bird evolution took place millions of years earlier than previously thought.

In addition to dozens of fossils of aquatic or semi-aquatic animals, the Zhenghe Fauna collection included at least three Aviaran fossils, enriching the understanding of early diversification and filling important gaps in the evolutionary history of terrestrial ecosystems towards the end of the Jurassic era according to researchers.

Baminornis fossils preserved most of the skeleton, but the wings were not preserved, leaving questions about their size and wing structure. The lack of a skull also limits clues regarding their diet.

Nevertheless, Baminornis suggests that various birds lived during the Jurassic period and flew in different ways,” Brusatte said.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

Discovery of new bird fossils from China sheds light on early evolution of avian species

Posted on February 13, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

Paleontologists have excavated fossilized remains of two Jurassic bird species in the area of Zenge County, Fujian Province, southeastern China. These 149 million-year-old fossils exhibit early appearances of highly derived bird characteristics, and together with fossils of another bird from the same region, they have the early origins of the birds and the early Jurassic. It suggests bird radiation.

Baminornis Zhenghensis. Image credit: Chuang Zhao.

“Birds are the most diverse group of terrestrial vertebrates,” says Professor Min Wang. Paleontology and Paleontology of Vertebrates The Chinese Academy of Sciences and colleagues said in a statement.

“Specific macroevolutionary studies suggest that their early diversification dates back to the Jurassic period.”

“However, the earliest evolutionary history of birds has long been obscure by highly fragmented fossil records. Archeopteryx Being the only widely accepted Jurassic bird. ”

“nevertheless Archeopteryx It was closely similar, especially due to its distinctive long reptile tail, as it had feathered wings. This is in stark contrast to the short-tailed morphology of modern and Cretaceous birds. ”

“Recent research questions about Aviaran's status. Archeopteryx classifies it as a deinonychosaurian dinosaur, a sister group of birds. ”

“This raises the question of whether there is a clear record of Jurassic birds.”

In their new study, Professor Wang and co-authors discovered and investigated two early bird fossils that were part of the so-called Zhenghe Biota.

One of these birds named Baminornis Zhenghensis the earliest known short-tailed bird.

“Baminornis Zhenghensis The end of the short tail in a complex bone called Pygostyle is a characteristic that can also be observed in living birds,” the paleontologist said.

“Previously, the oldest record of short-tailed birds was from the early Cretaceous period.”

“Baminornis Zhenghensis It is the only Jurassic and the oldest short-tailed bird ever discovered, pushing back the appearance of this derivative bird's distinctive features for nearly 20 million years. ”

According to the team, Baminornis Zhenghensis It also represents one of the oldest known birds.

“A step back and reconsidering the uncertainty of the phylogenetics Archeopteryx we don’t doubt it Baminornis Zhenghensis said Dr. Zhonghe Zhou of the Institute for Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleontology at the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

The second unnamed bird is represented by a single fossilized fullcula (wishbone).

“Our results support this introduction to Furcula ornithuromorpha a diverse group of Cretaceous birds,” the researchers said.

Team's work It was published in the journal today Nature.

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R. Chen et al. 2025. The first short-tailed bird from the late late Jurassic period in China. Nature 638, 441-448; doi:10.1038/s41586-024-08410-z

Source: www.sci.news

Dinosaur fossils claimed by ducks found in China

Posted on February 11, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

Paleontologists have discovered a fragmentary skeleton of a new Lamboosaurin hadrosaurus dinosaur in the Daranshan Formation in the Cretaceous period of southern China.

Skeletal material present in Lambeosaurin specimens from the Upper Darranshan Formation of Cretaceous period in southern China. Image credit: Wang et al. , doi: 10.1080/08912963.2025.2454652.

The fragmentary skeleton of a single hadrosaurus individual is Daranshan Formation Near Zhaoqing city in Guangdong Province, China.

The specimen is between 70-67 million years old (Maastrichtian Age), and includes vertebrae, humerus, ilium, femur and tibia.

“The specimens were collected from the Sanshui Basin in the northwest of the Pearl River Delta in southern China, the inland basin closest to the South China Sea, a land source in South China,” colleagues.

“A large area of the Upper Cretaceous layer, divided into two large deposition zones, occurs within it.”

“Stratigraphy is well understood, but few vertebrate fossils were found except for the aforementioned Tyrannosauld teeth at the Typingansite.”

“The new Lamboosaurin was found in the red gravel of the second member of the Daranshan Formation.”

Individuals were members of the tribe Lambeo Sauriniotherwise it is not often expressed in the Chinese fossil record.

“The Hadrosaurudoa fossil record occurs throughout the lower and upper Cretaceous layers of the world,” the paleontologist said.

“Hadrosauroids consist of a graded basal member and a derived Hadrosauridae, the latter consisting of the Lamboosaurus River and Hadrosaurinae or Saurolophinae.”

“The most distinctive character that unites the Lambeosaurin hadrosaurin-like group is the hollow skull, formed by the pair's anterior exosarobes and noses, which may have functioned in acoustic and/or visual signaling.”

“The fossil record of Lambo Osaurinae ranges from the Santonian to the Maastrichtian.”

“To date, four species have been discovered in China. Charonosaurus jiayinensis, Jaxartosaurus sp. , Tsintaosaurus Spinorhinusand Sahaliyania Elunchunorum. ”

Researchers say the new specimen is the first known Lamboosaurin in southern China.

“It represents the first hadrosaurus from the Sanshui Basin and the first Lamboosaurin from southern China,” they said.

“This specimen suggests the possibility of future fossil discoveries in Cretaceous sediments of the Sanshui Basin, indicating that the area was once home to typical late Cretaceous Cretaceous dinosaur animals. It's there.”

Team's paper Published in the journal Historical Biology.

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Donghao Wang et al. 2025. The first occurrence of the ducked dinosaur tribe Lambosaurini (Hadrosauridae: Lambosaurinae) in southern China. Historical BiologyPublished online on January 25th, 2025. doi:10.1080/08912963.2025.2454652

Source: www.sci.news

Fresh fossils discovered in Patagonia

Posted on February 4, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

According to a new study published in the journal Plos 1, anti-biologists analyzed the fossilized archaeological sites of Alvaretsu Saurdo Dinosaur, Bonapartenykus, from Patagonia’s Allen formation. Their findings provide new insights into the body plan of Bonapartenykus and other members of the Alvaretsu Sould Dinosaur Group Patagonykinae.

Reconstruction of the personal life of Bonapartenykus in Argentina, Patagonia Allen Solitoritral Ojodea Guo area. Image credit: Abel G. MONTES.

Bonapartenykus lived in Patagonia, Argentina, about 70 million years ago during the Cretaceous period.

This dinosaur, first described in 2012, belongs to one of the most enigmatic dinosaur groups, Alvarezsauridae.

Together with another genus from Patagonia, Patagonics, Bonapartenykus forms a small group within Alvarez Sauria called Patagonykinae.

“Alvarezsauria is a group of small to medium-sized coelurosaurian theropod dinosaurs that lived from the late Jurassic to the late Cretaceous,” explained Dr. Gustabo Meso, a paleontologist specializing in ancient biologist.

“Originally, the distribution of this group was limited to Asia, with the earliest known member found in China’s Oxford (late Jurassic period).”

“Early fossils of Alvarezsauria were only found in Asia but now include up to three species.”

“By the latter half of the Cretaceous period, Alvarezsauria had diversified and spread globally, with abundant fossils found in Asia, Europe, North America, and the first records in South America from the Gondwana supercontinent.”

“Patagonykinae is a subgroup of Alvarezsaurids, named after the Patagonics and Bonapartenykus.”

In their new study, Dr. Gustabo Meso and his co-author examined numerous Alvarezsaurus fossils from the Patagonia Allen layer of Solitral Ojo de Agua.

“These specimens were collected at various times without precise original locality information but are now all from the same section and layer as the holotype of the alvarezsaurid. We conducted X-ray micro-CT scans of the specimens,” mentioned Dr. Meso.

“Based on this new information and the morphological similarities of the specimens, we provisionally assign them to the genus Bonapartenykus.”

The newly described specimen provides valuable insights into the body plan of Patagonykinae, allowing for a more complete reconstruction of the neck, chest, hindlimbs, and tail.

“Our results support the idea of a single species of Alvaresaurus, but future research in the Solitral Ojo de Agua area may reveal further evidence for testing,” they added.

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JG MESO et al. 2025. New information on Bonapartenykus (Alvares Sauda: Seropododa) from the Allen layer in Rio Negro State, Patagonia, Argentina (Middle Compania Mariana) Plos 1 20 (1): e0308366; DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0308366

Source: www.sci.news

Small enantiornithine bird fossils discovered in China

Posted on January 21, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

A new genus and species of enantiornithine bird in the family Bohaiornithidae has been identified from a nearly complete, articulated skeleton preserved with feather marks found in northeastern China.

holotype of Neobohyornis ramadongensis. Image credit: Shen others., doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-82869-8.

Enantiornis, or “opposite bird”, is named for the feature of the shoulder joint that is “opposite” to that seen in modern birds.

These birds had toothed and clawed wings and occupied a variety of ecological niches comparable to neonis.

Once the most diverse group of birds, they became extinct 66 million years ago due to a meteorite impact that wiped out most of the dinosaurs.

The newly identified enantiornithine species lived during the Cretaceous period, about 119 million years ago.

with scientific name Neobohyornis ramadongensisthis bird belonged to an early enantiornithine family called . Bohiornithidae.

“The most diverse bird group of the Mesozoic Era was the enantiornithids,” said field museum paleontologist Dr. Jinmai O'Connor and colleagues.

“More than 100 named genera have been described to date, and fossils referable to this group of primarily arboreal birds have been described from nearly every continent, making it the largest known Mesozoic bird species. It accounts for half of the animals.

“Although restricted to smaller body sizes during the Early Cretaceous, by the Late Cretaceous Enantiornis had achieved a considerable size range and occupied diverse ecological niches.”

“The most abundant enantiornithine fossils come from deposits recording the Early Cretaceous Jehol biota in northeastern China, and the known Mesozoic bird diversity (130 to 100 million years) 20 million years ago).

“Bohaiornithids are characterized by a unique robust tooth morphology,” the researchers added.

“The tooth is apically pinched, gently curved apically, and mesiodistally robust near the base.”

“The most rostral teeth are typically smaller in size compared to the rest of the dentition.”

“Like most enantiornithids, Bohaiornithids are arboreal, based on the morphology of the foot, with the toe phalanges extending distally within each digit, ending in a highly recurved ungulate. It is highly likely that

“But compared to other species, their claws were proportionately larger and more curved.”

“The largest member of the clade (bohaiornis) may have approached a similar size to the small extant ascites (200 g). ”

“The largest known bohaiornithid is 167% the size of the smallest specimen yet reported, an unnamed juvenile.”

fossilized skeleton Neobohyornis ramadongensis It was discovered in the Jiufutang Formation near Ramadong, Liaoning Province, China.

“The fossil preserves a ring of feather traces from the caudal margin of the nostril to the underside of the neck, the shoulder and pelvic area, the lower leg feathers, the remige, and a pair of rachis-dominated tail feathers. “,” the paleontologists said.

According to the researchers, Neobohyornis ramadongensis It is estimated to weigh around 50g.

“in contrast, Neobohyornis ramadongensisand all other Bohaiornithids are estimated to have weighed more than 100 g,” they said.

The discovery of Neobohyornis ramadongensis Therefore, the body size range and diversity of Bohaiornithidae increases significantly. ”

“This suggests greater ecological diversity, but no direct evidence exists for the diet or ecological niche of this clade at this time.”

Neobohyornis ramadongensis It also preserves new information about the plumage of Bohaiornithidae birds.

This fossil, along with another specimen, shows that the primary feathers of Bohyornithids were about twice as long as the humerus, had rounded wing edges, and, like most other Early Cretaceous enantiornithids, had broad wings. It shows that he had.

“The new specimen represents a new species that contributes to the considerable recognized diversity of enantiornithines in the Bohaiornithidae of the Jiufudang Formation, especially with regard to body size,” the scientists said.

“This specimen reflects the reduced pinky and big fingers that evolved within this lineage as it evolved more sophisticated flight abilities in parallel with other enantiornithid lineages such as Myrididae. It highlights skeletal adaptations such as the possibility of increased sacral vertebrae.”

“The new specimen preserves the most well-known feathers of the Bohaiornithids, and it is possible that this clade had widespread rachis-centered tail feathers, as well as lower leg feathers. It shows that it has a high sex and there were no feathers on the podium.”

of work appear in the diary scientific report.

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C. Shen others. 2024. A new small species of enantiornithine (Birds: Ornithorax) from the Jehor Formation of the Early Cretaceous period in northern China. science officer 14, 31363; doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-82869-8

Source: www.sci.news

New discovery of fossils reveals a revamped dinosaur evolutionary history

Posted on January 9, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

American paleontologists have discovered the fossilized remains of a new species of sauropod dinosaur that lived in the northern hemisphere (Laurasian supercontinent) during the Carnian period of the late Triassic period, about 230 million years ago.

reconstruction of Avaitum banduichethe world's oldest known low-latitude dinosaur species. Image credit: Gabriel Uguet.

Until now, it was thought that dinosaurs originated deep in the high latitudes of the Southern Hemisphere (Gondwana supercontinent).

The dinosaur fauna of Gondwana and the earliest dinosaur occurrences in the Northern Hemisphere (Laurasian supercontinent) were separated by 6 to 10 million years.

However, the newly described Laurasia species lived at the same time as the oldest known southern dinosaurs.

named Avaitum banduicheThis sauropod is the oldest known Laurasian dinosaur.

“Avaitum banduiche Dr. Dave Loveless of the University of Wisconsin Museum of Geology and his colleagues found that “Dinosaurs lived in Laurasia during or shortly after a period of huge climate change known as the Carnian Plug, which previously led to the diversification of dinosaur species. “It was involved in the early stages of.” .

“The climate at the time was much wetter than before, turning vast, hot desert regions into more hospitable habitats for early dinosaurs.”

Avaitum banduiche It was about 1 meter (3 feet) long from head to tail.

“Avaitum banduiche “It's basically the size of a chicken, but it has a very long tail,” Dr. Lovelace said.

“We think of dinosaurs as giant behemoths, but they didn't start out that way.”

fossil remains are Avaitum banduiche It was discovered in 2013 at Garrett's Surprise (named after Garrett Johnson, the undergraduate field assistant who discovered the locality), a small outcrop of the Popo Aggie Formation in Wyoming.

“These fossils reveal the world's oldest equatorial dinosaur, which is also the oldest North American dinosaur,” Dr. Loveless said.

At the same Garrett's Surprise site, paleontologists also discovered fossilized bones of dinosaur-like creatures called silesaurids.

“The presence of early low-latitude sauropods from the Northern Hemisphere, along with silesaurids, 230 million years ago casts doubt on the hypothesis that the dispersal of dinosaurs from high-latitude Gondwana was delayed.” the researchers said.

“These data fill a critical gap in the early record of the evolution of sauropod dinosaurs and demonstrate a wide geographic distribution from mid-to-late Carnian times.”

their result will appear in Zoological journal of the Linnean Society.

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David M. Lovelace others. 2025. Rethinking the origins of dinosaurs: The oldest known equatorial dinosaur population (Mid-Late Carnian Popo Aggie FM, Wyoming, USA). Zoological journal of the Linnean Society 203 (1): zlae153;doi: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlae153

Source: www.sci.news

Newly discovered Silurian fossils provide insight into the intricate early development of molluscs

Posted on January 9, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

Paleontologists have discovered two new three-dimensionally preserved aculiferous mollusks from the Silurian period, showing that the earliest molluscs were more complex and adaptable than previously known. It was revealed that there was.

3D model of punk ferox (above) and emo swirl (Bottom) Reconstructed as a digital virtual fossil. Image credit: Mark Sutton, Imperial College London.

The two new Aculifera species are punk ferox and emo swirllived about 430 million years ago.

The specimen was discovered in a Silurian deposit in the county of Herefordshire, England.

These had distinctive spikes and other features that set them apart from the earlier molluscs mentioned above.

Dr Mark Sutton, a paleontologist at Imperial College London, said: “Molluscans are one of the largest and most diverse groups of animals on Earth.

“However, early acripheran molluscs are less well known than their relatives.”

“Information about this group was limited, and for a very long time we thought they were fairly basic, simple, and primitive.”

“It's extremely rare to find fossils that are so well-preserved and have such detailed soft tissues.”

“We were able to create 'virtual fossils', or 3D digital models. This provided us with a treasure trove of information and revealed that the evolutionary branches of molluscs include: It helps you understand that punk ferox and emo swirl It was much more evolutionarily rich and diverse than we expected. similar to other mollusk groups. ”

Sutton and his colleagues used two different methods to obtain clear images of both the interior and exterior of the fossil.

First, an X-ray scan was used to closely observe the internal structure without damaging the exterior.

The fossil is then carefully crushed into very thin layers and photographed at each stage to create 3D images of its external features.

The researchers found that both fossils had smooth undersides, suggesting they lived on the ocean floor, and both had some unique features and unconventional locomotion strategies.

of emo swirl The fossil is preserved in a folded position, suggesting it moved like an inchworm to grasp the vertebrae and push forward.

Meanwhile, how punk ferox Scientists weren't sure if it was still mobile, but it turned out that it had ridge-like legs, unlike any mollusk that exists today.

“The name is punk ferox and emo swirl In fact, our first nicknames for these ancient mollusks were inspired by some of their unique features and personalities,” Dr. Sutton said.

“punk ferox In particular, its spiky appearance clearly resembles a rebellious punk rocker. emo swirl It complemented it nicely. ”

“meanwhile punk ferox They resemble insect-like molluscs with long spines, but also have wide legs and chiton-like gills. ”

“emo swirlIt resembles an earthworm with a similarly long body and spines, but also features a chiton-like shell and compressed body. ”

“Such a combination of features helps us better understand the evolutionary tree of molluscs. This points to a story involving more complexity and diversity than previously thought.”

of study Published in a magazine nature.

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MD Sutton others. New Silurian aculiferan fossils reveal the mollusk's complex early history. naturepublished online on January 8, 2025. doi: 10.1038/s41586-024-08312-0

Source: www.sci.news

Ancient molluscs challenge our stereotypes: punk and emo fossils defy conventional perceptions

Posted on January 8, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

Digital model of an ancient mollusk punk ferox and emo swirl, Created from X-ray scans of fossils

Sutton et al. Nature (2025)

Two prehistoric marine mollusk fossils with distinctive spiky 'hairstyles' have been discovered and named. punk and Emotional.

Its strange appearance highlights the ancient diversity of molluscs, which today include creatures such as snails, slugs, clams, and octopuses.

“Some people may have a bit of a soft spot for molluscs. My partner called them loser animals, but they are one of the really important areas of life.” he says. mark sutton At Imperial College London.

He and his colleagues unearthed artifacts dating back 430 million years at a British site known as . herefordshire lagerstedt.

The fossil, from a group of molluscs known as Aculifera, was so delicate that researchers couldn't simply crack open the stone it contained.

Instead, Sutton and his colleagues use X-ray scans to identify structures inside rocks, slice the material thinly and photograph each layer, and combine the images to show what living things might look like. A 3D image was created. Both were earthworm-like animals with long spines about 2 centimeters long.

Sutton said the music-related nickname was originally a pet name. The name stuck and was officially proposed because the spike-laden fossil was reminiscent of the hairstyle of the punk rock movement. punk ferox and emo swirl.

“The spikes are probably primarily for protection,” Sutton said, but it's also possible that the spikes formed because the creatures needed to remove calcium buildup in their bodies while living in the ocean. be. In many cases, he says, such hard protrusions can serve both purposes.

Researchers don't quite understand how punk The specimen was moved, but the specimen emo It is preserved in a folded state, suggesting that it increments like a caterpillar. emo It also had many sturdy downward-pointing spines on its back, which may have acted as ratchets to aid movement, Sutton said.

These spines would have stopped it from sliding backwards in the sediment as it turned, ensuring it moved forward, he says. “This inching has never really been shown in any fossils before,” Sutton said.

“I love the name; it fits these spiky mollusks,” he says. luke parry at Oxford University. “Molluscan fossils that preserve soft tissue like this are extremely rare, so seeing in 3D what these rare and ancient animals looked like is truly spectacular. It’s like a treasure trove, like the Pompeii of insect-eating molluscs.”

He agrees that the spikes were likely primarily for protection, since both species were definitely moving around on the ocean floor rather than burrowing.

topic:

Source: www.newscientist.com

Paleontologists discover potential record-breaking mesosaurus fossils

Posted on January 3, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

Paleontologists in Uruguay have discovered a large, poorly preserved and incomplete skull of an ancient aquatic reptile called a mesosaurus, along with some accompanying bones. These new specimens suggest gigantism exists in mature mesosaurs that reach more than twice the size of previously reported adult and typical specimens.

Mesosaurs are small to medium-sized aquatic or semi-aquatic amniotes that lived in Gondwana during the Early Permian Period. Image credit: Roman Yevseyev / Graciela Piñeiro.

mesosaurus A group of small aquatic reptiles that lived in South Africa and South America during the Permian Period, approximately 299 to 270 million years ago.

These creatures were the first known aquatic reptiles to return to aquatic life from apparently terrestrial ancestors.

“Mesosaurs are often described as small to medium-sized aquatic amniotes due to their elongated bodies and long tails that exceed the length of the rest of their bodies,” Graciela Pinheiro of the University of the Republic and colleagues. said.

“Additionally, their long-nosed skulls consist of very thin skulls with numerous needle-like marginal teeth.”

“Despite the fragility of some parts of the skull, mesosaur fossils are abundant in the Percarboniferous shales and silt deposits of Gondwana, including preserved bones with articulated skulls. This includes nearly complete skeletons in good condition, as well as partially preserved specimens that still have recognizable soft tissue.

“This exceptional preservation has led to the designation of the Mangrullo Formation in Uruguay and the Illati Formation in Brazil as part of the Conservat Lagerstätten of Gondwana,” they added.

“Furthermore, mesosaur fossils collected from these units include a variety of ontogenetic stages, from fetuses to juveniles to adults.”

“Thus, the ontogeny of mesoosaurs is well documented, with body length ranging from 10 to 12 centimeters (3.9 to 4.7 inches) in hatchlings to 80 to 90 centimeters (2.6 to 3 feet) in young adults. ”

“The average body length of the middle dragon is about 70 cm (2.3 feet),” the researchers said.

“Previous research suggested that mesosaurs were semi-aquatic amniotes, rather than fully aquatic amniotes.”

Mesosaurus ontogenetic cranial series documented from specimens discovered in the Conservato Lagerstätte, Mangrullo Formation, Uruguay. Scale bar – 1 cm. Image credit: Pinheiro others., doi: 10.3390/fossils3010001.

Dr. Pinheiro and his co-authors discovered and studied the largest known mesosaur fossil ever recorded.

The specimen includes two fragmentary skulls, a dorsal vertebrae, a tail fragment, an isolated rib, and several other bones.

They come from the regions of Picada de Cuero and El Baron. Mangrullo formation Located in northern Uruguay.

Paleontologists compared the new fossil to a larger sample of the same bone.
Mesosaurus tenuidens.

Their analysis revealed that the size of mesosaurs in the Mangrullo Formation exceeded the typical size distribution previously recorded. Mesosaurus tenuidens.

These individuals were four to five standard deviations larger than average, with skull lengths of 15 to 20 cm (5.9 to 7.9 inches) and total body sizes of 1.5 to 2.5 m (4.9 to 8.2 ft).

“To explore the importance of such large mesoosaurs in the Mangrullo Formation population, we considered the potential effects of Bergmann dominance,” the researchers said.

“This is a study of isolated populations of the same species or different taxa whose body size may have been affected by changes in temperature or food availability, such as competition for nutrients. Although this is an important paleogeographical principle, it does not explain the presence of such large creatures.'' Mesosaurian specimens from the Mangurlo Formation. ”

“We therefore conclude that the large body size variations observed in mesosaurs correspond to their ontogenetic stages and growth patterns,” the researchers said.

“The smaller body size previously recognized may represent a population dominated by early juveniles, subadults, and young adults, and may be due to normal carcass wasting of animals that died from a variety of causes. It may reflect a catastrophic mass mortality event that impedes the increase.”

“The bentonite layers and gypsum crystals found in the Mangrullo Formation are the result of occasional inflows of ash fall onto the lagoon resulting from increased tectonic activity associated with the Pangea Formation.”

“These volcanic events, combined with the gradual drought and associated desertification observed in the Irati-Whitehill Sea, are the main triggers that may explain the extinction of mesosaurs, at least in the Uruguayan region of the Paraná Basin. It is suggested that
of findings Published in a magazine fossil research.

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Graciela Pinheiro others. 2025. Largest Mesosaurus Ever Known: Evidence from the Scanti Record. Phos. stud 3(1):1;doi: 10.3390/fossils3010001

Source: www.sci.news

Jawed vertebrate fossils dating back 400 million years discovered in Australia bring mystery to light

Posted on December 12, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Palaeospondylus ganniwas a small, eel-like creature that lived during the mid-Devonian period, about 390 million years ago, and is among thousands of similarly preserved fossils from the Achanaras Quarry in Caithness, Scotland. is represented by. Radically different interpretations of its structure had assigned this species to almost all major jawless and jawed vertebrate groups. Paleontologists are currently identifying new and old species. spondylosis From the early Devonian period of Australia.

Palaeospondylus australisbrain cases and histological sections. Image credit: Barrow others., doi: 10.1093/nsr/nwae444.

First described in 1890, spondylosis It is a mysterious fish-like animal with a series of strange morphological features in the fossil record, including a lack of teeth and osteodermal bones.

Until now it was only known as Palaeospondylus ganni From the Middle Devonian Orcadian Basin in Scotland.

Initially interpreted as jawless vertebrates, they were soon classified into their own order and family.

Whereas the Scottish specimen was extremely compressed with all skeletal elements welded together, the new discovery spondylosisis located in a 400-million-year-old limestone in the Georgina Basin of western Queensland, central Australia, and is in a very different state of preservation as a 3D unfractured element.

“This is an amazing addition to Queensland's fossil record and is at the other end of the size scale of prehistoric giants like dinosaurs.” loetosaurus and Australotitan couperensis'' said Carol Barrow, a paleontologist at the Queensland Museum.

“What? Palaeospondylus australis Even more interesting is its relationship with similar species in northern Scotland. Palaeospondylus ganni”

The new fossil's honeycomb-like structure and complex internal features suggest the fish's early evolutionary importance.

The exact relationship is Palaeospondylus australis Although much remains unclear, as its features indicate that it retains many larval features, it is likely to be a distant relative of sharks.

This groundbreaking discovery not only enriches our understanding of ancient Australian ecosystems, but also highlights the global connectivity of early vertebrates across continents.

research Palaeospondylus australis It promises to uncover more mysteries about the evolution of jawed vertebrates.

“Discovery of a mysterious animal” spondylosis The early Devonian discovery in Australia indicates that this form is likely to have been distributed globally, given that Scotland and eastern Australia were then and now on opposite sides of the globe. “, the paleontologists said.

“New evidence regarding neurocranial features… spondylosis Adds important but contradictory information about that affinity. ”

“Until new and better evidence becomes available, spondylosis It is considered a pedunculate gnathostome, possibly a sister group to the cartilaginous fishes, and shows a mosaic of characters exhibited by both the osteoostia and some placoderms, as well as by the cartilaginous and teleost fishes. ”

of result appear in the diary National Science Review.

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Carol J. Barrow others. 3D brain box of early jawed vertebrates spondylosis From Australia. National Science Reviewpublished online on December 3, 2024. Doi: 10.1093/nsr/nwae444

Source: www.sci.news

New Zealand Revealed: Unearthed Fossils of Rare Whitefly and Plantain Insects

Posted on December 4, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Paleontologists have identified a new genus and species of whitefly from fossils found in Miocene crater lake deposits at Hindon Mar, near Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand.

Close-up of two small pupae Miotetraleurodes novaezelandiae It is attached to the leaves of angiosperms. Image credit: Drohojowska others., doi: 10.1007/s12549-024-00628-z.

Adult whiteflies are small insects about 3 mm in size, and immatures are even smaller.

The fossil discovered at Hindon Maar is approximately 1.5mm x 1.25mm and was preserved by pasting it on the back of a fossilized leaf.

It has a black, oval body and has some similarities with modern whiteflies, such as shape and color, but differs in that all parts of the body are clearly defined by deep sutures.

“Fossils of adult whiteflies are not uncommon, but unusual circumstances are required for the pupa (the protective shell in which the insect emerges) to become fossilized,” says palaeontologist at the University of Göttingen and former postdoctoral researcher at the University of Göttingen. says Dr. Uwe Kaulfus. University of Otago.

“About 15 million years ago, the pupal leaves must have been torn off the tree, blown into a small lake, sunk to the deep lake bed, become covered in sediment, and become fossils.”

“It must have happened in quick succession because the fossils of the small insects are so well preserved.”

“The new genera and species described in our study are Miotetraleurodes novaezelandiaerevealed for the first time that whitefly insects were an ecological component of ancient forests in the South Island. ”

“It was difficult to see much with the naked eye, but when we looked at the fossils under a microscope we could see amazing details,” said Emeritus Professor Daphne Lee from the University of Otago.

“The fact that they are still alive on leaves is incredible and extremely rare.”

“These small fossils are the first of their kind to be found in New Zealand, and only the third pupa fossil of this type known worldwide.”

“These new discoveries from the Otago fossil site are an important contribution to our understanding of New Zealand's past biodiversity and forest ecosystem history. It means we have a new appreciation for the importance of it.”

“Most people are interested in big fossils, big charismatic fossils, but most of the animals in the forest are insects.”

“New Zealand is home to 14,000 insect species, 90% of which are found nowhere else in the world.”

“The discovery of these tiny fossils shows that this insect group has been present in Aotearoa New Zealand for at least 15 million years.”

“This provides a well-dated calibration point for molecular phylogenetic studies.”

of study Published in a magazine Paleobiodiversity and paleoenvironment.

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J. Drohojovska others. The first Miocene whiteflies and parrots (Hemiptera: Sternorrhyncha: Aleyrodoidea and Psylloidea) from Aotearoa, New Zealand. Paleobio Paleoembupublished online on October 1, 2024. doi: 10.1007/s12549-024-00628-z

Source: www.sci.news

Ancient nematode fossils resembling Ediacaran species discovered in Australia

Posted on November 21, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

For decades, paleontologists have hypothesized that a major group of animals called ecdysizoans must be older than the Cambrian, but until now their origins have remained a mystery. discovery of Unkus Zaugishi A research team led by Professor Mary Droser at the University of California, Riverside says that the large gap between predictions based on molecular data and the lack of description of ecdysizoans prior to the rich Cambrian fossil record has been reconciled and animal life This will deepen our understanding of the evolution of .

Digital photography and 3D laser scanning Unkus Zaugishi body fossils. Scale bar – 10 mm. Image credit: Hughes others., doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.10.030.

Ecdysids are the largest and most species-rich group of animals on Earth, containing more than half of all animals.

Characterized by a cuticle (a tough external skeleton that is periodically shed), this group consists of three subgroups. Arthropods, including insects, spiders, and crustaceans. and Scaridophora, an eclectic group of small scaly marine creatures.

“Like many modern animal groups, ecdymozoans are prevalent in the Cambrian fossil record, and at the beginning of this era, about 540 million years ago, we see evidence of all three subgroups. We can,” said Ian Hughes, a graduate student in oceanography. Studied biology at Harvard University.

“We know that they didn’t suddenly appear out of nowhere, so the ancestors of all ecdysizoans originated in the preceding Ediacaran period (635 to 539 million years ago). It must have existed.”

“DNA-based analyzes used to predict the age of fauna by comparing it to its closest living relatives supported this hypothesis.”

“However, ecdysozoan fossil animals remain hidden among the large number of animal remains that paleontologists have discovered during the Ediacaran period.”

Newly described Ediacaran ecdysizoan, Unkus Zaugishi was only a few centimeters long.

Gathering of 82 people Unkus Zaugishi The specimen was discovered in Nilpena-Ediakara National Park in South Australia.

Dr. Scott Evans of Florida State University said, “Nilpena is perhaps the best fossil site in the world for understanding the evolution of early animals, because fossils occur during periods of increased diversity, and these “This is because we can excavate extensive rock formations that preserve snapshots of the world.” .

“The layer we found was Unkus Zaugishi It's especially interesting because the grains in the sediment are so small that you can actually see every detail of the fossils preserved there. ”

“We were excited to find evidence for what scientists have long predicted: the presence of ecdymozoans during Ediacaran times,” Hughes said.

“It’s also very important for understanding what these early animal groups looked like and their lifestyles, especially since ecdysizoans really came to dominate the Cambrian marine ecosystem.”

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

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Ian V. Hughes others. An Ediacaran bilaterian from South Australia with an affinity for molting animals. current biology published online on November 18, 2024. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.10.030

Source: www.sci.news

Intricate bird fossils reveal insights into the development of avian brains

Posted on November 13, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Skeleton of Nabaornis Hestia, an 80-million-year-old bird fossil

S. Abramowitz/Dinosaur Institute/Los Angeles County Natural History Museum

An 80-million-year-old fossil bird skull is so well preserved that scientists were able to study the detailed structure of its brain.

In both age and evolutionary development, new species Nabaornis Hestiae, It falls about halfway between the earliest known bird-like dinosaurs. ArcheopteryxBirds that lived 150 million years ago and modern birds. They lived along with dinosaurs during the Cretaceous period. tyrannosaurus and triceratops.

The fossil, which superficially resembles a pigeon, was discovered in 2016 near Presidente Prudente, Brazil, and quickly became important because of the rarity of complete bird skeletons, especially those from the same period. recognized as something.

but daniel field It wasn't until 2022 that Cambridge University professors realized that the skull was so intact that it could be scanned to create a 3D model of the brain.

High-resolution CT scans allow paleontologists to see inside fossils. “This involves careful 'digital dissection' – separating the individual components of the skull and reassembling them to create a complete, undistorted three-dimensional reconstruction,” Field said. says Mr.

“This new fossil provides unprecedented insight into the patterns and timing of the evolution of specialized brain functions in living birds.”

Professor Field said that based on the brains his team reconstructed, human cognitive and flight abilities: nabaornis It was probably inferior to most living birds.

Artist's impression of Nabaornis Hestia

J. D'Oliveira

The parts of the brain responsible for complex cognition and spatial awareness are not as enlarged as they are in modern birds, he says.

“It’s cerebral, but nabaornis greatly expanded compared to more archaic bird conditions such as . Archeopteryx, It is not as expanded as we see in living birds. ”

Professor Field said the enlarged brains of modern birds support a wide range of complex behaviors, but there is a lack of sufficiently complete and well-preserved fossil bird skulls from early bird relatives. This makes it difficult to understand how their brains evolved.

“nabaornis This fills an approximately 70 million-year gap in our understanding of how the distinctive brains of modern birds evolved. ”

topic:

Source: www.newscientist.com

Fossils from Mid-Devonian coral reefs shed light on early photosymbiosis evidence

Posted on October 28, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

The symbiotic relationship between corals and their photosynthetic partners, algae (photosymbionts), dates back to at least the Devonian period (385 million years ago), according to a new study.

Dendroid Porites Coral Dendrostella trigeum tab-shaped coral fragments Romerolite Brevis Riphaeus. Image credit: Chong others., doi: 10.1038/s41586-024-08101-9.

All modern corals belong to a group called scleractinians, which evolved during the Triassic period.

These corals may provide habitat for symbionts (such as photosymbionts) that play a role in nutrient recycling, which is especially beneficial in nutrient-poor waters.

However, it is not clear whether earlier extinct forms of coral had photosymbionts.

“The Devonian period (419 to 359 million years ago) was a time when sea surface temperatures and atmospheric carbon dioxide were higher than they are today,” said Jonathan Jung, a researcher at the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, stated in their paper.

“Unlike today, its carbonate chemistry is dominated by calcite precipitation, likely due to the low magnesium-to-calcium ratio in seawater.”

“The Middle Devonian was the period of greatest expansion of metazoan reefs in the Phanerozoic era, and well-preserved reefs from this period span what is now Europe, North America, North Africa, Australia, Siberia, and China.” explained the researchers.

“In the Devonian period, these reefs bordered the lake seas on the southern margin of Lorsia and the northern boundary of Gondwana.”

“Along the southern margin of Lorsia, these ancient reef communities reached their greatest extent and highest diversity during the Givetian period of the Devonian period (approximately 387 to 382 million years ago).”

“These thriving metazoan coral reefs became diachronically extinct during the course of the Kerwasser crisis in the Late Fraznian (372.2 million years ago).”

“Then, coral reefs were built primarily by cyanobacteria/algae, which were present in very small numbers until the end of the Famenian period (Devonian-Carboniferous boundary).”

“The ability to host photosymbionts was paramount to the ecological success of ancient coral reef communities during the Givetian period, and the subsequent collapse of coral reefs in the Late Devonian was associated with a gradual loss of photosymbiotic relationships. It is suggested that

“However, there is still no clear consensus as to whether photosymbiosis was prevalent in now-extinct coral groups during the Paleozoic era.”

In their study, Dr. Jung and his co-authors examined fossils of two extinct reef coral groups from the mid-Devonian period: the tabula corals and the shibo corals.

They measured nitrogen isotopes bound to corals (¹⁵no/¹⁴N), can be used to distinguish whether corals obtain energy from photosynthetic symbionts.

Their results suggest that symbionts were present in the tabular corals they studied, but not in most civet corals.

This discovery provides definitive geochemical evidence of the oldest known example of symbiosis in corals.

“Wide-spread oligotrophy during the Devonian may have promoted coral photosymbiosis, and its occurrence may explain why Devonian reefs were the most productive reef ecosystems of the Phanerozoic.” the researchers wrote in their paper.

“These early signals of photosymbiosis in mid-Devonian corals indicate that it supported coral productivity under warm climate conditions.”

“The Late Triassic and Early Miocene (the subsequent period when coral photosymbiosis was reconstructed using nitrogen isotopes) were also warmer than today.”

“In contrast, under modern global warming caused by anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions, coral bleaching and associated mass mortality events are likely the greatest threat to the future of coral reefs, with the disruption of coral symbiosis due to warming.” It shows that there is.”

“The strength of coral photosymbiosis in past warm climates suggests that the failure of coral symbiosis under ongoing global warming will not be due to an increase in ocean surface temperatures reached, but rather an increase in ocean surface temperatures.” This shows that the rate of increase is greater than the adaptive capacity of the symbiotic relationship.

team's paper appear in the diary nature.

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J. Jung others. Coral photosymbiosis on mid-Devonian coral reefs. naturepublished online October 23, 2024. doi: 10.1038/s41586-024-08101-9

Source: www.sci.news

Colombian fossils reveal a new species of ichthyosaur

Posted on October 12, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Paleontologists say they have identified a new species of marine reptile in the ophthalmosaurid family Platypterygius. It lived about 125 million years ago.

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

Ophthalmosauridae is a family of ichthyosaurs that lived during the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods.

These ichthyosaurs appeared around the world during the early Bajosian period, about 170 million years ago, after which most other ichthyosaur lineages disappeared during the late Toarthian period, 174 million years ago.

Two lineages of Ophthalmosauridae are known. One contains two genera, Agilosaurus and Ophthalmosaurus, and the other contains three genera: Brachypterygius, Caprisaurus, and Platypterygius.

The newly identified species is Platypterygius elsuntuoso, belonging to the latter genus.

This marine reptile swam in the early Barremian seas, about 125 million years ago.

“The morphology of the new specimen is consistent with diagnostic features of Platypterygius, supporting its inclusion in this genus,” said lead author Dr. María Paramo Fonseca and colleagues from the National University of Colombia and the National Geological Museum José Royo y Gómez.

“The difference between this specimen and all others in the Platypterygius genus supports the establishment of the new species, Platypterygius elsuntuoso.”

Platypterygius elsuntuoso holotype. Scale bar – 10 cm. Image credit: Paramo Fonseca others, doi: 10.15446/esrj.v28n2.112332.

Fossilized remains of a juvenile or subadult Platypterygius elsuntuoso were collected in 1999 by researchers at the Columbia Geobiological Foundation.

The specimen consists of a nearly complete skull, several axial elements including the atlantoaxial and several cervical vertebrae, the left coracoid, and several phalanges.

“This specimen was discovered in a concretion in the La Cabrera hill northwest of Villa de Leyva (Boyaca, Colombia), where the Arcilolitas Abigaladas Formation of the Paja Formation is exposed,” the paleontologists said.

“Because its exact geographic origin is unknown, its exact stratigraphic position could not be determined.”

“However, numerous ammonoid specimens have been extracted from the same stone, some of which have been preliminarily identified as ammonoid specimens of Acanthopticoceras.”

The researchers made morphological comparisons of Platypterygius elsuntuoso with ophthalmosaur ichthyosaurs of the Cretaceous and Late Jurassic periods.

They also revised the genus Platypterygius based on published descriptions and first-hand observations of Colombian materials.

“We have come to the conclusion that Platypterygius is a genus distinguished by a distinctive forelimb structure and a specific combination of cranial features,” they said.

“We revised that diagnosis to accept that Barremian to lower Cenomanian species are valid: Platypterygius platydactylus, Platypterygius americanus, Platypterygius australis, Platypterygius hercinus, Platypterygius sachicarum, Platypterygius virjucobi, and the new species Platypterygius elsuntuoso.”

“Therefore, Platypterygius was a cosmopolitan genus that diversified as it conquered oceans from the Early Cretaceous to the Early Late Cretaceous.”

The discovery of Platypterygius elsuntuoso is reported in a paper in Earth Science Research Journal.

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Maria E. Paramo-Fonseca others. 2024. new species Platypterygius Evaluation of the species composition of (Ophthalmosauridae) and their genera from the Lower Barremian of Columbia. Earth Science Resolution J 28 (2): 103-126;doi: 10.15446/esrj.v28n2.112332

Source: www.sci.news

Newly discovered fossils show that trilobites possessed five pairs of head appendages

Posted on September 13, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Based on multiple analytical techniques applied to two well-preserved soft-bodied specimens of trilobites, the Late Ordovician species Triarturus Eatonii and Middle Cambrian species Polygonum gracilis, paleontologists claim that there was an additional pair of cephalopods just behind the antennae, indicating that the trilobite had five pairs of cephalopods and six segments.

Triarturus Eatonii Image credit: Jin-bo Hou and Melanie J. Hopkins, doi: 10.1111/pala.12723.

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.

They appeared in the ancient oceans of the Early Cambrian period about 540 million years ago, long before life appeared on land, and disappeared during the mass extinction at the end of the Permian period about 252 million years ago.

They are incredibly diverse, with around 20,000 species, and fossils of their exoskeletons have been found all over the world.

Like other arthropods, trilobites have a body made up of many segments and a head made up of several fused segments.

Like the rest of the trilobite’s body (the thorax and tail), these segments are associated with appendages whose functions range from sensing to feeding to locomotion.

“The number of these segments and how it relates to other important features, such as eyes and legs, is important for understanding how arthropods relate to each other and how they evolved,” said Dr. Melanie Hopkins, curator and head of the Department of Palaeontology at the American Museum of Natural History.

The segments on a trilobite’s head can be counted in two different ways: by looking at the grooves (called sulci) on the top of the trilobite fossil’s hard exoskeleton, and by counting the pairs of antennae and legs preserved on the underside of the fossil.

However, trilobites’ soft appendages are rarely preserved, and when looking at trilobite head segments, researchers frequently find a mismatch between these two methods.

In the new study, Dr. Hopkins and Dr. Hou Jinbo of Nanjing University studied Triarturus Eatonii.

These fossils are known for their golden glow from well-preserved pyrite replacements, and show that there are additional, previously undescribed legs beneath the head.

“This incredible preservation method allows us to view the 3D appendages of hundreds of specimens directly from the ventral side of the animals, just like grabbing an appendage from a horseshoe crab on the beach and turning it upside down to view it,” Dr. Hou said.

Exceptionally well preserved compared to other trilobite species, Polygonum gracilis based on the fossil, which was discovered in the Burgess Shale of British Columbia, the authors propose a model for how the appendages may have been attached to the head in relation to grooves in the exoskeleton.

“This model resolves apparent inconsistencies and shows that the trilobite head contained six segments: the anterior segment associated with the origin of eye development, and five additional segments each associated with a pair of antennae and four pairs of walking legs,” the researchers explained.

Their paper published in the journal Paleontology.

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Jin-bo Hou & Melanie J. Hopkins. 2024. New evidence for five cephalopods in trilobites and its implications for trilobite head segmentation. Paleontology 67(5):e12723; doi:10.1111/pala.12723

Source: www.sci.news

Paleontologists discover three new species of ancient thylacine fossils

Posted on September 10, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Palaeontologists from the University of New South Wales have unearthed the fossils of three new species belonging to the thylacine genus. Basitinus, Nimbakinusand Ngamalasinas It inhabits upper Oligocene sediments in the Riversleigh World Heritage Area, northwest Queensland, Australia. Bassinus timforkneri, Nimbasinus peterbridgeand Ngamalasinas NigermalbeniThese new species are among the oldest known thylacines and indicate an earlier diversification of the family Thylacidae. Thylacine More than previously understood.

Bassinus timforkneri Eating a corpse Silvavestius Michaelvirti.Image credit: Peter Schouten.

The three new species of Pectiniidae lived during the Late Oligocene epoch, between 25 and 23 million years ago.

The largest of these is Bassinus timforkneriThey weigh between 7 and 11 kg, roughly the same size as a large Tasmanian devil.

“Like the Tasmanian devil, Basisinas timforkneri “They could easily crush the bones and teeth of their prey,” said lead author Tim Churchill, a doctoral student at the University of New South Wales.

“But up until now, we've only seen much smaller Bassinus TurnbulliiWeighing in at around 2.7 kg, this dinosaur is the only thylacine relative found in the Late Oligocene.

“The lower jaw and teeth, including an isolated first molar, were found at the Hiatus site at Riversleigh, which is even older than the White Hunter site where B. turnbrii was previously found.”

“This will Basisinas timforkneri It is undoubtedly the oldest thylacine ever discovered.”

The second species is Nimbasinus peterbridgeIt was slightly larger than a long-eared quoll and weighed about 3.7kg.

The species was described from a nearly complete jawbone from the White Hunter site at Riversleigh.

“Nimbasinus peterbridge “It was probably a more generalist predator, targeting small mammals and other prey in the ancient woodland of Riversleigh,” Professor Mike Archer, from the University of New South Wales, said.

“We think it may have been directly related to only one other species. Nimbakinus,big Nimbasinus dicksoni (5-7kg) was discovered in 15 million year old deposits at Riversleigh.”

“This group of thylacines, Thylacine.”

“The other two new species described here appear to represent distinctive side branches on the increasingly complex thylacine phylogenetic tree.”

“This means Nimbasinus peterbridge It is probably the oldest known direct ancestor of the Tasmanian tiger.”

The third new species, Ngamalasinas NigermalbeniIt weighed about 5.1kg and was about the size of a red fox. This one was also unearthed at the White Hunter site in Riversleigh.

“This was a highly carnivorous thylacine,” said Dr Sue Hand, from the University of New South Wales.

“We know this because the cutting edges of the lower molars are elongated and have deep, V-shaped meat-cutting notches.”

“Ngamalasinas Nigermalbeni These notches were more developed than in any other thylacine species of similar size.”

The existence of three distinct lineages of specialized thylacines in the Late Oligocene highlights how rapidly this group of marsupials has diversified since they first appeared in the fossil record, the researchers say.

“These new species have very different dental adaptations, suggesting that several unique carnivore forest niches existed during this time,” Churchill said.

“All of these lineages became extinct by 8 million years ago, except for the lineage that gave rise to modern thylacines.”

“The previous idea that Australia was dominated by reptilian carnivores for the last 25 million years is steadily being disproved as each new discovery adds to the fossil record of these new thylacine-like marsupial carnivores,” Prof Archer said.

“The diversity of mammalian carnivores in Rivers Leaf during this period rivals any other ecosystem, including the large dispersal of mammalian carnivores that developed in South America,” Churchill added.

of study this month, Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology.

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Timothy J. Churchill othersThree new opossum species (Marsupialia, Opossumidae) discovered from Late Oligocene deposits in the Riversleigh World Heritage Area, north-west Queensland. Journal of Vertebrate PaleontologyPublished online September 6, 2024; doi: 10.1080/02724634.2024.2384595

Source: www.sci.news

Insights into large pterosaur flying capabilities revealed by new fossils found in Jordan

Posted on September 9, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Paleontologists have unearthed the fossils of two different large azhdarchoid pterosaurs. Inabatanin Arabia And previously known species Arambrugiana Philadelphia — Discovered in Upper Cretaceous deposits in Jordan, the fossils have led researchers to hypothesize that not only could the largest pterosaurs fly, but that they may have had a different style of flight.

Inabatanin Arabia (Top) Flying while flapping its wings Arambrugiana Philadelphia (Below) Soaring like a vulture. Image courtesy of Terrill Whitlatch.

Pterosaurs are an extinct group of flying reptiles that existed from the Late Triassic until the mass extinction at the end of the Cretaceous period.

They evolved powered flight about 50 million years before flight feathers appeared in the fossil record, and some achieved wingspans twice that of the largest flying birds (12 metres versus 6 metres).

“Our team was very surprised to find a three-dimensionally preserved pterosaur bone, which is a very rare occurrence,” said University of Michigan paleontologist Kerstin Rosenbach.

“Because pterosaur bones are hollow, they are extremely fragile and, if preserved, are likely to be found flat like a pancake.”

Dr. Rosenbach and his colleagues discovered two azhdarchoid pterosaur specimens in Jordan, one of which corresponds to a giant species. Arambrugiana Philadelphia (wingspan about 10 meters) and the second is a new, smaller species. Inabatanin Arabia (Wingspan approximately 5 meters).

They used high-resolution computed tomography (CT) scans to analyze the internal structure of the wing bones.

“3D preservation is very rare, so we don’t have a lot of information about what the inside of a pterosaur bone looks like, so we wanted to do a CT scan,” Dr Rosenbach said.

“It’s entirely possible that nothing was preserved inside, or that the CT scanner was not sensitive enough to distinguish the fossil bone tissue from the surrounding matrix.”

“But fortunately, what we found was amazing, with exciting internal structures that were not only preserved but could be seen with a CT scanner.”

New specimens Arambrugiana Philadelphia Its wingspan was determined to be 10 metres, and the first details about the reptile’s skeletal structure were revealed.

CT scans revealed that the humerus is hollow inside, with a series of spiral ridges running up and down the bone, similar to the internal structure of a vulture’s wing bones.

The spiral ridges are thought to resist the torsional loads associated with soaring (sustained powered flight that requires flapping wings to launch and maintain).

The Inabutinin Arabian specimen is one of the most complete pterosaurs ever discovered in Afro-Arabia.

CT scans revealed that the structure of its flight bones is completely different from that of Arambourgiania philadelphiae.

The interior of the flight bone was crossed with an arrangement of struts that matched those seen in the wing bones of modern flapping birds.

This indicates that it was adapted to withstand the bending loads associated with flapping flight, and so it is likely that Inabatanin flew in this way, although it does not exclude the possibility that other flight styles may have been used from time to time.

” Inabatanin Arabia “It’s not uncommon, but it’s fun to see,” Dr. Rosenbach said.

” Arambrugiana Philadelphia It was totally unexpected and at first I had no idea what I was looking at.”

“Being able to see the entire 3D model, Arambrugiana PhiladelphiaI was really excited to see the spiral ridges on the humerus.”

The discovery of diverse flight styles among different sized pterosaurs is extremely exciting as it gives clues about how these animals lived.

It also raises intriguing questions, such as to what extent flight style correlates with body size and which flight style is more common among pterosaurs.

“We have very limited information about the internal structure of pterosaur bones over time, so it’s hard to say with any certainty which style of flight emerged first,” Dr Rosenbach said.

“If you look at other groups of flying vertebrates, birds and bats, you’ll find that wing flapping is by far the most common flight behavior.”

“Even soaring and gliding birds need some flapping to take to the air and continue flying.”

“This leads us to suggest that if flapping flight was the default state and was advantageous for a population of pterosaurs in a particular environment, in this case the open ocean, then soaring behaviour probably evolved later.”

a paper The paper on the survey results is Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology.

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Kirsten L. Rosenbach othersNew pterosaur fossils from the Afro-Arabian Late Cretaceous provide insight into the flying capabilities of large pterosaurs. Journal of Vertebrate PaleontologyPublished online September 5, 2024; doi: 10.1080/02724634.2024.2385068

Source: www.sci.news

Incredible Pterosaur Fossils offer insights into their flight capabilities

Posted on September 6, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Smaller pterosaurs may have flapped their wings, while larger ones may have flown.

Terryl Whitlatch

Despite living hundreds of millions of years apart, pterosaurs may be more similar to modern birds than previously thought: the bone structure of these giant reptiles suggests that the largest used wings to fly, while smaller ones flapped their wings to achieve flight.

The discovery comes from a remarkably well-preserved pterosaur fossil unearthed in Jordan, where the mechanism of flight has left traces in the skeleton. Jeffrey Wilson Mantilla At the University of Michigan.

Pterosaurs began flying about 80 million years before birds and bats. During their 150 million year reign, from the Triassic to the end of the Cretaceous period, they conquered every continent and evolved into a wide variety of sizes and shapes. Some were as small as a sparrow, while others had wingspans the size of a city bus. Analysis of pterosaur bones has revealed that different pterosaurs used different flight tactics to stay airborne.

Wilson-Mantilla and his team compared the fossils of two different pterosaur species and were delighted to discover that the 3D structure of the bones was still intact, which was a surprise because the hollow, brittle bones of pterosaurs would have easily broken down. Computed tomography scans revealed that the bones of the two reptile species were significantly different.

Large pterosaur, Arambrugiana Philadelphiahad spiral ridges running up and down the inside of their bones, similar to modern birds like eagles that fly with their wings fixed. Inabatanin Arabia The bird, a new species to science, had crossed struts that mimicked those of flapping birds.

The helical spiral helps resist twisting forces during ascent, and the crossed footings resist bending forces of the flaps. Wilson Mantilla.

Because the team found the fossils in what was once a coastal area, Mantilla thinks the soaring pterosaurs may have gained altitude by riding updrafts (currents of warm air rising from the ocean surface). He speculates that these pterosaurs could have also flapped their wings specifically to take to the air, making their soaring trait even more unusual.

The reason why one of these pterosaurs appeared to be flapping and the other was soaring raises new questions about how the more than 100 other known pterosaur species flew. Mantilla next wants to examine fossils from around the world to see if this pattern holds true. Perhaps, like modern birds, only the largest individuals of their species were able to soar.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

New insights into the evolutionary origins of tardigrades from Cretaceous amber fossils

Posted on August 24, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Tardigrades are a diverse group of microinvertebrates widely known for their remarkable ability to survive. Molecular clocks suggest that tardigrades diverged from other panarthropods (arthropods, tardigrades, velvet worms, and lobopods) before the Cambrian, but the fossil record is extremely poor. Now, paleontologists have described a new species of tardigrade and redescribed previously known species. readBoth are from Canadian Cretaceous amber.

Artistic Restoration read (Top) and Aerobius dactylus (Bottom) A hypothetical fossilization environment. Image courtesy of Franz Anthony.

First discovered in 1773, tardigrades are a diverse group of microscopic invertebrates best known for their ability to survive in extreme environments.

Also known as tardigrades or moss pigs, these creatures can live up to 60 years and grow to a size of up to 0.5mm. They are best seen under a microscope.

They can survive up to 30 years without food or water, and can survive temperatures as low as -272°C and as high as 150°C for a few minutes, and as low as -20°C for decades.

Tardigrades can withstand pressures ranging from nearly zero atmospheres in outer space to 1,200 atmospheres at the bottom of the Mariana Trench, and can also tolerate radiation levels of up to 5,000-6,200 Gy.

They survive by entering a state of suspended animation called biostasis, using proteins that form a gel inside the cells and slow down vital processes.

“Tardigrades are microscopic invertebrates characterized by a compact body shape with lobopod legs with four pairs of claws, and are closely related to the clawed pterygota and euarthropods. Panarthropods“Harvard doctoral student Mark Mapalo and his colleagues said:

“Tardigrades are widely known for having several species with cryptobiotic capabilities that allow them to survive extreme conditions such as the vacuum of space, ionizing radiation and freezing temperatures. Tardigrades are also found in marine, freshwater and terrestrial habitats around the world.”

“Despite their ubiquity in the modern biosphere, tardigrades have a notoriously poor fossil record, and research into their macroevolution, such as the origin of their body shape, the timing of their terrestrialization, and the acquisition of their cryptic abilities, is limited.”

“Currently, only four fossil crown-group tardigrades are known, all preserved as amber inclusions, but only two of these have an established taxonomic position relative to extant tardigrades.”

Aerobius dactylusImages/Photos: Mapalo others., doi: 10.1038/s42003-024-06643-2.

For the study, the authors looked at a piece of amber containing a tardigrade fossil that was discovered in Canada in the 1960s. read and what was presumed to be another tardigrade, which was virtually unexplained at the time.

Using confocal laser scanning microscopy, a technique commonly used to study cell biology, the researchers were able to examine the microscopic structure of the tardigrade fossils in astonishing detail.

This study read It has been identified as a new species in the Tardigrade family tree, Aerobius dactylus.

“Both were found in the same Cretaceous amber, which means that these tardigrades coexisted with dinosaurs,” said Dr Javier Ortega-Hernández of Harvard University.

” read The seven claws are well preserved, and those that curve towards the body are smaller than those that curve away from it, a pattern seen in modern tardigrades.”

“The second, previously unidentified specimen had claws of equal length on each of the first three pairs of legs, but the outer claws on the fourth leg were longer.”

Both species serve as important calibration points for an analysis called a molecular clock analysis, which helps scientists estimate important evolutionary timing.

For example, new research suggests that modern tardigrades likely branched off during the Cambrian period, more than 500 million years ago.

The study also sheds light on the origins of tardigrades' remarkable ability to survive extreme environments by entering a state of torpor.

“This study estimates that this survival mechanism likely evolved during the middle to late Palaeozoic and may have played a key role in helping tardigrades survive the end-Permian mass extinction, one of the most severe extinction events in Earth's history,” Dr Ortega-Hernández said.

of result Published in a journal Communication Biology.

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MA Mapalo others2024. Inclusions in Cretaceous amber shed light on evolutionary origins of tardigrades. Communication Violet 7, 953; doi: 10.1038/s42003-024-06643-2

Source: www.sci.news

How Fossils Are Reshaping our Understanding of Human Evolution

Posted on August 1, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Is it in the way we live, laugh, love? Or is it our aversion to clichés? Deep inside each of us, there must be something that makes us human. The problem is, after centuries of searching, we haven’t found it yet. Maybe it’s because we’ve been looking in the wrong places.

Ever since researchers began unearthing ancient hominin bones and stone tools, their work has held the tantalizing promise of pinpointing the long-ago moment when our ancestors transformed into humans. Two of the most important fossil discoveries in this quest reach an important milestone this year: 100 years since the first “near-human” was found. Australopithecus Fossils have been discovered in South Africa that have upended previous ideas about human origins, and it’s been 50 years since the most famous fossil was found. Australopithecus Lucy, also known as humanity’s grandmother, emerged from the dusty hills of Ethiopia, and the two fossils have led researchers to believe they can pinpoint humanity’s Big Bang, the period when a dramatic evolutionary wave led to the emergence of humans. Homo.

But today, the story of human origins is much more complicated. A series of discoveries over the past two decades has shown that the beginning of humanity is harder to pinpoint than we thought. So why did it once seem like we could define humanity and pinpoint its emergence, thanks to Lucy and her peers? Why are we now further away than ever from pinpointing exactly what it means to be human?

Source: www.newscientist.com

Ancient fossils reveal slower growth rates in mammals compared to modern species from Jurassic period

Posted on July 24, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Cruxatodon kiltlingtonensisA small mammal from the Jurassic period

Maiya Carrara

During the Middle Jurassic, small mammals lived much longer than modern ones and received parental care for years rather than weeks, suggesting that at some point there was a major change in the growth rates of small mammals, although the exact cause is unknown.

The discovery is based on two fossil skeletons of extinct mouse-sized creatures. Cruxatodon kiltlingtonensis, It lived on the Isle of Skye in Scotland about 166 million years ago, and its fossils were unearthed decades apart, the first in the 1970s and the second in 2016.

The unusual discovery of two fossils of the same species, one adult and one juvenile, allowed the team to compare the specimens to study how the animals grew and developed. “That meant we could ask questions we never dreamed of with just one specimen,” he says. Elsa Panciroli At the National Museum of Scotland.

First, the scientists used X-ray images to count the growth rings on the specimens' teeth, which are similar to growth rings on tree trunks and can be used to estimate age. They found that the adult specimens were about 7 years old, and the juvenile specimens were between 7 months and 2 years old.

Panciroli said he expected the fossil to be much younger, since the pup still had its baby teeth. “This was quite surprising, as this animal is about the size of a squirrel or a shrew,” Panciroli said. “We would have expected its teeth to grow back within a few weeks or months, so we could see straight away that it must have been developing quite differently. [than modern species].”

This discovery K. Quiltrington Mice took up to two years to wean from their mothers, a big jump from the few weeks most small mammals require today. Analysis of the length and size of the fossil bones reveals that the animals “grew throughout their lives,” Panchiroli says. Today, small mammals like mice grow rapidly when they're young but then stop growing as adults.

It's unclear exactly when and why small mammals evolved this way, but Panchiroli said it could be linked to environmental changes or it could be the result of mammals having warmer blood and a faster metabolism.

Panciroli and her team return to Skye every year, and are optimistic that they will be able to better understand these changes: “Hopefully in the coming years we'll find more fossils and new ways to ask these questions,” she says.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Paleontologist refutes theory that Protoceratops fossils inspired griffin myth

Posted on June 22, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

One of the most widely publicized examples of fossil legends is the Central Asian ceratopsid and Protoceratops And that GriffinA mythical creature that combines the characteristics of a lion and a bird and protects gold. This earth myth was first proposed in the 1990s. Protoceratops Fossils were transported west along trade routes from the gold mines of Asia, spreading griffin lore among the ancient Greeks. ProtoceratopsBut Griffin Link finds that unconvincing.

of Protoceratops-The geomyth of the griffin. The idea that horned dinosaur fossils in Mongolia inspired the myth of the griffin, an ancient chimera of bird and lion according to conventional archaeologists, is one of the most popular and publicized examples of fossil folklore in modern times. The idea was first proposed in the early 1990s but has received little academic scrutiny. Image credit: Whitton others., doi: 10.1177/03080188241255543.

The specific link between dinosaur fossils and the griffin myth was proposed more than 30 years ago in a series of papers and books written by folklorist Adrienne Mayolle.

these are, 1989 Cryptozoology paper Qualified'Palaeocryptozoology: A call for collaboration between classicists and cryptozoologists',and The groundbreaking book from 2000,The first fossil hunter.

This is because early ceratopsians in Mongolia and China ProtoceratopsIt was discovered by ancient nomads searching for gold in Central Asia.

story Protoceratops The bones then traveled along trade routes to the Southwest, influencing griffin stories and art.

Griffins are one of the oldest mythological creatures, first appearing in Egyptian and Middle Eastern art in the 4th millennium BC and becoming popular in Ancient Greece in the 8th century BC.

Protoceratops This is a 2-metre-long dinosaur that lived in Mongolia and northern China during the Cretaceous Period, 75 to 71 million years ago.

Like Griffin, Protoceratops It stood on all fours, had a beak, and had frill-like protrusions on its skull which some have argued could be interpreted as wings.

In the first detailed assessment of the claims, Mark Whitton of the University of Portsmouth and his colleagues looked at the historical fossil record, Protoceratops Fossils and classical sources related to griffins ProtoceratopsTo fully understand the non-traditional, fossil-based views of the griffin's origins, we consulted historians and archaeologists. Ultimately, we found that none of the arguments stood up to scrutiny.

idea Protoceratops For example, it is unlikely to be discovered by nomads searching for gold. Protoceratops Fossils have been found hundreds of kilometers away from ancient gold mines.

A century has passed since then. Protoceratops Although it was found, there have been no reports of gold buried alongside it.

Also, nomads Protoceratops Even if gold miners search for the area where the fossils were found, they will not find the skeleton.

“The hypothesis is that the dinosaur skeletons were found semi-exposed and left as if they were the remains of a recently dead animal,” Dr Whitton said.

“But generally speaking, only small parts of eroded dinosaur skeletons are visible to the naked eye and would likely go unnoticed by anyone but the most eagle-eyed fossil hunters.”

“It is almost certain that ancient peoples roaming Mongolia would have encountered it. Protoceratops. “

“We need to look further into these animals to develop a mythology, which will require us to extract fossils from the surrounding rocks.”

“Even with modern tools, adhesives, protective packaging and preparation techniques, it's no easy task.”

“probably Protoceratops The ruins have generally gone unnoticed – even though the gold miners were there and saw them.”

Similarly, the geographic spread of griffin art throughout history is not consistent with a scenario in which griffin lore originated from fossils in Central Asia and then spread westward. Protoceratops Fossils in ancient literature.

Protoceratops Its only resemblance to a griffin is that it is a quadruped with a beak. Griffin art lacks details that would suggest it was based on fossils; instead, it is clear that many griffins were modeled after features of modern cats and birds.

“Everything about the griffin's origins is consistent with the traditional interpretation that it is a mythical beast, and its appearance is perfectly explained by being a chimera between a big cat and a bird of prey,” Dr Whitton said.

“It evokes the role of dinosaurs in griffin lore, particularly species from faraway lands. Protoceratopsnot only introduces unnecessary complexity and contradictions into its origins, but also relies on interpretations and proposals that do not stand up to scrutiny.”

“It's important to distinguish between fact-based fossil folklore – links between fossils and myths that are attested to by archaeological finds or compelling references in literature and artwork – and connections that are speculative and based on intuition,” said Dr Richard Hing from the University of Portsmouth.

Team paper Published in this week's journal Interdisciplinary Science Review.

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Mark P. Whitton othersThe horned dinosaur Protoceratops Inspire Griffin? Interdisciplinary Science ReviewPublished online June 20, 2024; doi: 10.1177/03080188241255543

Source: www.sci.news

Fossils of Giant Crabs Discovered in New Zealand

Posted on March 5, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Paleontologists have described a new species of crab genus false calcinus A large fossil specimen discovered in Taranaki, North Island, New Zealand.

Pseudocarcinus karlaubenheimeri. Scale bar – 5 cm. Image credit: Barry WM van Bakel & Àlex Ossó, doi: 10.1080/00288306.2024.2314472.

false calcinus It is a monotypic genus of the Crabidae family. Menippiidae.

Among them is a very large species called. Tasmanian giant crab (Pseudocalcinus gigas).

Also known as the giant southern crab, it lives on rocky and muddy bottoms off the coast of southern Australia.

“Alive 'Southern Giant Crab'” Pseudocalcinus gigas “It ranks among the largest crabs that have ever lived,” said Utrecht University paleontologist Barry van Bekel and colleague Alex Osso.

“This bird is now endemic to the cool-temperate South Australian continental margin, although there is one record of a female being caught off the coast of New Zealand's South Island.”

“Scientists recognized and described the unique set of morphological characters of this monotypic genus and constructed a corresponding new family and superfamily.”

“Unfortunately, the geological history of this remarkable group of crabs is largely unknown.”

named Pseudocarcinus karlaubenheimeria new member of this genus lived in New Zealand about 8.8 million years ago (Miocene epoch).

Six specimens of this species were collected from Waitoetoe Beach. Urenui formation The Taranaki Basin is home to a series of volcanoes. Mojakatino Volcano Center It erupted offshore, leading to the formation of a specific paleoenvironment.

“this is, false calcinus It lived in what is now New Zealand,” the researchers said.

According to the team: false calcinus Males have one normal-sized claw and one extra-large claw.

“In modern oceans, crabs have larger absolute claw sizes in temperate regions than in tropical regions, but in temperate oceans their claws are smaller relative to their body size.”

“The Miocene of New Zealand was home to two species of giant crabs with the largest known crushing claws. Thumidocarcinus giganteus and Pseudocarcinus karlaubenheimeri”

“Clearly, food sources, metabolic conditions and calcium carbonate availability were favorable to these species.”

“Thumidocalcinus Extinct by the end of the Miocene. false calcinus It is currently only known from Australian waters. ”

team's paper Published in New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics.

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Barry W. M. van Bekel and Alex Osso. A new “Southern Giant Crab'' discovered in a Miocene continental slope paleoenvironment in Taranaki, North Island, New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics, published online on February 27, 2024. doi: 10.1080/00288306.2024.2314472

Source: www.sci.news

Ancient Fossils of Land-Dwelling Animals Found in Australia Dating Back 380 Million Years

Posted on February 6, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Paleontologist at Flinders University brian chu and his colleagues described a new genus and species of Devonian tetrapod fish based on several nearly complete skulls and postcranial skeletons.

rebuilding the life of Harajikadectes zumini. Image credit: Brian Choo, Flinders University.

“Tetrapodomorpha “It consists of tetrapods and their closest fish relatives, the oldest records of which are from the Pragians of China,” said Dr Chu and co-authors.

“This group diversified greatly in both marine and freshwater habitats during the Middle to Late Devonian, giving rise to several distinct lineages, including the earliest quadrupeds.”

“Tetrapods flourished after the Devonian limbless fish tetrapods experienced a marked decline in diversity during the Carboniferous, but only survived into the early Permian before disappearing from the fossil record. There were only a handful of representative animals.”

This new species of tetrapod lived about 380 million years ago and was up to 45 to 50 centimeters long.

with scientific name Harajikadectes zuminithis fish is particularly distinctive for its large opening at the top of its skull.

“These spire-like structures are thought to facilitate air breathing at the surface, and modern African bichir fish have similar structures for taking in air at the surface,” said Dr Chew. Ta.

“This feature appears in multiple tetrapomodorf lineages at about the same time during the middle to late Devonian period.”

“In addition to Harajikadectes zumini Large spiracles also appeared from central Australia. gogonathus El Pisto Stegarian from Western Australia Tiktaalik — are the closest relatives of four-limbed quadrupeds. ”

“And it shows up in unrelated places.” Pickeringius Western Australian stingray fin fish first described in 2018. ”

with Dr. Chu Harajikadectes zumini fossil. Image credit: Flinders University.

Professor John Long from Flinders University said: “This synchronous emergence of air-breathing adaptations may have coincided with a period of reduced atmospheric oxygen during the mid-Devonian.”

“The ability to supplement gill breathing with oxygen from the air may have provided an adaptive advantage.”

“We discovered this new form of lobe-finned fish in one of the most remote fossil sites in all of Australia, the Harajika Sandstone Formation in the Northern Territory, about 200km west of Alice Springs. It dates from the mid-Devonian period. Late period, approximately 380 years ago.'' 1 million years old. ”

“It's difficult to pinpoint the location. Harajikadectes zumini sit in this group of fishes because they appear to have convergently acquired a mosaic of specialized features characteristic of widely separate branches of the tetrapod radiation. ”

of findings will appear in Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology.

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brian chu other. A new species of pedunculated tetrapod fish that lived in the middle to late Devonian period of central Australia. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, published online on February 5, 2024. Doi: 10.1080/02724634.2023.2285000

Source: www.sci.news

Fossils dating back 1.75 billion years shed new light on the evolution of photosynthesis

Posted on January 3, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Microscopic image of a modern cyanobacterium called Oscillatoria

Shutterstock / Ekki Ilham

Researchers have identified photosynthetic structures inside a 1.75 billion-year-old cyanobacteria fossil. This discovery is the oldest evidence yet of these structures and provides clues to how photosynthesis evolved.

Emmanuel Javeau Researchers from the University of Liège in Belgium analyzed fossils collected from rocks at three locations. The oldest site is the approximately 1.75 billion-year-old McDermott Formation in Australia, the other two are the billion-year-old Grassy Bay Formation in Canada and the Bllc6 Formation in the Democratic Republic of Congo. was.

From these rocks, the researchers extracted fossilized cyanobacteria that produce energy through photosynthesis. “They're so small, less than a millimeter, that you can't see them with the eye,” Java says. She and her colleagues placed the fossils in resin, sliced them into sections 60 to 70 nanometers thick using a diamond-bladed knife, and analyzed their internal structures using an electron microscope.

They discovered that cyanobacteria in Australia and Canada contain thylakoids, membrane-enclosed sacs in which photosynthesis occurs. “These are the oldest fossilized thylakoids that we know of today,” Java says. Previously, the oldest thylakoid fossils were around 550 million years old. “So we delayed the fossil record by 1.2 billion years,” she says.

This is important because not all cyanobacteria have thylakoids and it is unclear when these structures, which make photosynthesis more efficient, first evolved, they said. Kevin Boyce at Stanford University in California. The origins of this diversification can now be traced back at least 1.75 billion years, he says. The oldest fossils of cyanobacteria are about 2 billion years old, but other evidence, such as geochemical signatures, indicate that photosynthesis has been around even longer than that.

It is widely believed that cyanobacteria helped build up oxygen in Earth's atmosphere 2.4 billion years ago. “The idea is that perhaps during this time they invented thylakoids, which increased the amount of oxygen on Earth,” Java says. “Now that we have discovered very old thylakoids and found them preserved in very old rocks, we think we might be able to test this hypothesis even further back in time,” she says. .

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Uncovering the Astonishing Facts about Ancient Bead-Like Fossils

Posted on December 23, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

Paleontologists have determined that a mysterious fruit first discovered in the 1970s is the oldest known frankincense fossil. Scale bar = 2 mm.
Credit: Stephen Manchester

Mysterious fossils discovered in India in the 1970s have been identified as part of the Frankincense family, suggesting a Southern Hemisphere origin and reshaping our understanding of plant evolution. In the early 1970s, paleontologists working on the outskirts of an Indian village discovered tiny bead-like fossils embedded in the gray chert that dotted the surrounding fields. The site was notorious for the discovery of hard-to-identify plant fossils, including the fruits of extinct creatures. The fossils have been named “Enigmocarpon”.

The new fossils proved to be similarly frustratingly unwieldy. More plants were discovered in India in subsequent decades, but scientists were unable to determine which type of plant they belonged to.

A breakthrough in fossil identification: Now, researchers say they have solved the mystery. Stephen Manchester, curator of paleobotany at the Florida Museum of Natural History, used CT scanning technology to create his 3D reconstructions of the original fossil specimens and other specimens collected since then. He showed this to his colleagues and noticed something strange about his five triangular seeds inside.

Before the widespread use of CT scans in paleontology, these small fossils, less than 10 mm in diameter, were particularly difficult to study and identify. “When I showed him the 3-D images, he said, ‘Those aren’t seeds. They’re pyrenes,'” Manchester said with Walter Judd, curator of botany at the Florida Museum. I remembered the conversation. Pyrene is a woody dispersal pod that provides an additional layer of protection to the seeds. Distinguishing between seeds and pyrenes requires close scrutiny, especially when they are the size of a snowflake.

“If we had a specimen that broke in just the right plane, we would have been able to identify it, but we couldn’t identify it with the material we had,” Manchester said. Although they may look like seeds, these woody structures are actually pyrenes, similar to the stones found in peaches and date palms.

Frankincense family connection: Only a few plant groups produce pyrene, and even fewer have fruits containing five seeds arranged in a pentagram. Through a process of elimination, Manchester and Judd determined that the fossils belonged to the frankincense family, an extinct member of the Kansas family. Fossilized trees, leaves, fruits, and flowers of this family have been found elsewhere in India, often sandwiched between thick basalt slabs created by the largest volcanic eruptions in Earth’s history.

Geological background and importance: At that time, India was an island off the southeast coast of Africa. India’s continental plate slowly moved toward Europe and Asia, breaking the seal of a thin layer of Earth’s crust as it passed through Madagascar. The fossils were preserved during a quiet period between eruptions, which makes it the oldest fossil of the Kansidae family ever discovered, and has important implications for the origin of the family. Scientists have a good idea of when this group of plants first evolved, but it’s still unclear where they came from.

Source: scitechdaily.com

Newly Discovered Fossils Shed Light on Enigmatic Human Lineage in the Levant

Posted on December 21, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

Orthographic view of the static skull, mandible, and parietal bones.Credit: Tel Aviv University

Nesher Ramla homoan ancient hominin group discovered in Israel reveals a complex admixture of Eurasian and African hominins 140,000 years ago, changing perceptions of the origins of Neanderthals.

Researchers have discovered a previously unknown archaic hominin group they named Nesha Ramla. homo” at a recently excavated site in Israel. This group, dating from about 140,000 to 120,000 years ago, is thought to be the last survivor of the Middle Pleistocene. homo. They exhibit a unique blend of Neanderthal and ancient human characteristics and technology.

Neanderthals are thought to have originated and flourished in continental Europe long before modern humans arrived. However, recent evidence suggests a genetic contribution from as yet unknown non-European populations and points to a long and dynamic history of interactions between Eurasian and African hominin populations.

Human interaction in Eurasia and Africa

Here, Israel Hershkovitz, Yossi Zeidner and colleagues present fossil, artifact, and radiometric evidence from the Levantine region of the Middle East that illustrates this complexity. According to Hershkovitz et al., the newly discovered Nesher Ramla homo They exhibit anatomical features that are older than their contemporaneous Eurasian Neanderthals and modern humans, who also lived in the Levant. This discovery indicates that this archaic lineage may represent one of the last surviving populations of the Middle Pleistocene. homo in southwest Asia, Africa, and Europe.

Archaeological context and cultural interaction

In joint research, Zaidner other. We provide archaeological context for the new fossils and report on their associated radiometric dates, artifact assemblages, and the behavioral and environmental insights they provide. Researchers found that Nesher Ramla homo Familiar with technology that was previously known only to a select few homo sapiens And Neanderthals. Taken together, these findings provide archaeological support for close cultural interactions and genetic admixture between different human lineages before 120,000 years ago. This may help explain the different expressions of teeth and skeletal features in later Levantine fossils.

“Interpretation of Nesher Ramla fossils and stone tools will have mixed reactions among paleoanthropologists. Nevertheless, the age of Nesher Ramla materials, the discordant morphological and archaeological similarities , and the site’s location at the crossroads of Africa and Eurasia make this a major discovery,” writes Marta Lahr in an accompanying Perspective.

For more information about this research, see Types of prehistoric humans previously unknown to science.

References:

“Middle Pleistocene Homo from Nesher Ramla, Israel” Israel Hershkovitz, Hilla May, Rachel Salig, Ariel Pokhodzhaev, Dominique Grimaud Hervé, Emiliano Bruner, Cinzia Fornai, Rolf Quam, Juan. Written by Luis Arzuaga, Victoria A. Crenn, and Maria Martinon Torres, José María Bermudez de Castro, Laura Martin Frances, Vivian Soulon, Lou Albesado Ball, Amelie Viale, and Tim Schuler , Giorgio Manzi, Antonio Profico, Fabio Di Vincenzo, Gerhard W. Weber, Yossi Seidner, June 25, 2021, science.
DOI: 10.1126/science.abh3169

“Behavior and culture of Homo during the Middle Pleistocene, 140,000 to 120,000 years ago, and interaction with Homo sapiens” Yossi Seidner, Laura Senty, Marion Prevost, Norbert Mercier, Christophe Farguerre, Gilles Guerin, Hélène Valadas, Mairis Richard, Asmodee Ghaly, Christophe Pécherin, Olivier Tombre, Edwidge Pons-Branch, Naomi Porat, Ruth Shahak Gross, David E. Friesem, Reuven Yeshurun, Zohar Turdjman Yaffe, Amos Frumkin, Gadi Herzlinger, Ravid Eckstein, Maayan Shemar, Oz Valoner, Rachel Salig, Hila May, Israel Hershkovitz, June 25, 2021, science.
DOI: 10.1126/science.abh3020

Source: scitechdaily.com