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Oldest Fossilized Skin Preserved in 289-Million-Year-Old Cave System

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Fossilized skin fragments collected from the Richards Spur Cave system in Oklahoma, US, are at least 21 million years older than any previously reported skin fossil.

Fossilized skin is captorinus aguti.Image credit: Moony other., doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.12.008.

The newly described fossilized skin is captorinus agutia type of early reptile that lived during the Permian period about 289 million years ago.

This reptile specimen and associated skeleton were collected by long-time paleontology enthusiasts Bill and Julie May. Richards Spara limestone cave system in Oklahoma that is currently undergoing quarrying.

The skin fragments are smaller than fingernails and have a pebble-like surface, most similar to crocodile skin.

This is the earliest preserved example of the epidermis, the outermost layer of skin, in terrestrial reptiles, birds, and mammals, and was an important evolutionary adaptation in the transition to terrestrial life.

“Every once in a while, we have a unique opportunity to glimpse deep into time,” said Ethan Mooney, a graduate student at the University of Toronto.

“Discoveries of this kind can really enrich our understanding and appreciation of these pioneering animals.”

Skin and other soft tissue rarely fossilize, but Mooney and colleagues say that this is possible thanks to unique features of the Richards Spur Cave system, including fine clay deposits that slow decomposition, oil seepage, and a cave environment. We believe that in this case it was possible to save the skin. It was probably an environment without oxygen.”

“Animals would have fallen into this cave system during the early Permian period and become buried in very fine clay sediments, slowing down the process of decay,” Mooney said.

“What is surprising, however, is that this cave system was also the site of an active oil seepage during the Permian, and the interaction of the hydrocarbons in the oil with the tar is likely what enabled the preservation of this surface. is.”

Analysis of the specimens revealed epidermal tissue, a characteristic of the skin of amniotes, a group of terrestrial vertebrates that includes reptiles, birds and mammals that evolved from amphibian ancestors during the Carboniferous Period.

“What we saw was completely different from what we expected, so we were in complete shock,” Mooney said.

“Finding ancient skin fossils like this is a unique opportunity to peer into the past and learn what the skin of these early animals looked like.”

The skin shares features with ancient and extant reptiles, including a pebble surface similar to crocodile skin and hinge areas between epidermal scales similar to the skin structure of snakes and earthworm lizards.

However, because the skin fossils are not associated with skeletons or other artifacts, it is not possible to determine which species or body part the skin belonged to.

The fact that this ancient skin resembles the skin of reptiles living today shows how important these structures are for survival in terrestrial environments.

“The epidermis was an important feature for vertebrates to survive on land. It is an important barrier between internal processes and the harsh external environment,” Mooney said.

“This skin may represent the skin structure of an early amniote terrestrial vertebrate ancestor that allowed for the eventual evolution of feathers in birds and hair follicles in mammals.”

of findings appear in the diary current biology.

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Ethan D. Mooney other. Paleozoic cave systems preserve the earliest known evidence of amniote skin. current biology, published online on January 11, 2024. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.12.008

Source: www.sci.news

Oldest Fossilized Crocodile-Like Skin Discovered by Scientists

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Researchers have discovered what is believed to be the oldest skin fossil on record.

The alligator-like skin, which is at least 286 million years old, was preserved in an ancient buried cave in what is now Oklahoma. The discovery could help unravel evolutionary mysteries and provide important clues to a time when some animals were transitioning to living on land.

“Finding old skin fossils like this is a great opportunity to peer into the past and learn what the skin looked like on these early animals,” said the University of Toronto graduate student and co-author of the book. says lead author Ethan Mooney. the paper said in a news release.

Three-dimensional skin casting and compacted fossil of an unknown amniote.
Mooney et al. / Current Biology

Discovery announced Thursday Published in the scientific magazine “Current Biology”, created in a quarry and cave system called Richard's Spur. Researchers believe the animals fell into the cave system and were preserved by seeping oil and tar that enveloped them.

Skin is a three-dimensional mold with fossilized tissue attached to it.

“There are very few examples of Paleozoic land animals that have preserved skin,” said Paul Olsen, a paleontologist and Columbia University professor who was not involved in the paper. “He's one of the reasons why this is so important.”

Lepospondyl, temnospondyl, and dermal scales of an unknown quadruped.
Mooney et al. / Current Biology

The preserved skin was discovered at a site full of fossils of lizard-like creatures called lizards. captorinus aguti, However, it was not clearly associated with any particular skeleton.

Olsen said the skin could help solve the mystery of how reptiles and mammals diverged from each other during evolutionary history. Her two branches of life have a common ancestor.

“They hypothesize that the common ancestor of reptiles and mammals had reptilian-like skin, but their reptilian-like skin is not associated with the skeleton, so they have We can't really show that with the materials we have,” Olsen said of the authors. “Maybe this site will reveal that in the future.”

Horny zone of Captorhinus aguti (OMNH 52541).
Mooney et al. / Current Biology

Source: www.nbcnews.com

Skin Fossil from 300-Million-Year-Old Reptile is the Oldest Known

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Captorhinus aguti, an ancient reptile that may be the source of the oldest skin fossils

michael debraga

The collection of fossilized skin fragments is the oldest ever discovered. This 300 million-year-old fossil belongs to a crocodile-like reptile and could help us understand how skin evolved.

After an animal dies, the skin decomposes quickly, so fossilization is rare. But this early Paleozoic reptile eventually ended up in a suitable place to preserve its skin. It was buried in oily clay deposits in an ancient limestone cave in what is now Oklahoma. There was little oxygen in the cave sediments, which slowed the decomposition process long enough for the tissue to fossilize, trapping the mummified skin mold.

The discovery was a surprise to researchers who had been examining the tiny black fossil fragments using microscopic 3D scans. “They were so small and skinny that we had to be very gentle with them,” he says. tea maho At the University of Toronto, Canada. Their scans revealed a pebble-like scale texture similar to crocodile skin, especially the flatter, smaller scales on the crocodile's flanks.

Researchers concluded that the skin belonged to a Paleozoic reptile, but it is unclear which species. Based on nearby fossils, they suspect the skin belongs to an extinct lizard-like species. Captorinus aguti. It's not clear how the reptile reached its final resting place. Perhaps it fell into the cave from a vertical shaft or was swept into the cave by a heavy rainstorm.

The fossilized skin fragments are about 21 million years older than any previously discovered, showing how and when vertebrates developed skin after they transitioned from living in the sea to living on land. It reveals new clues about how it evolved. “This is a unique opportunity to examine the first chapter in the evolution of higher vertebrates,” he says. ethan mooney at the University of Toronto. Skin helped aquatic animals make the leap to life on land by providing a watertight barrier between sensitive organs and the outside world.

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Source: www.newscientist.com