Tag Archives: roamed

Rhinos Roamed the High Arctic 23 Million Years Ago

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Paleontologists have identified a new early Miocene species of rhinoceros from the genus Epiaceratherium, based on fossilized remains uncovered in the Canadian Highlands Arctic.

This new rhinoceros existed in present-day Canada around 23 million years ago during the early Miocene epoch.

Named Epiaceratherium ijirik, it is most closely related to other rhinoceros species that thrived in Europe millions of years ago.

“Currently, there are only five species of rhinos found in Africa and Asia, but they were once widespread in Europe and North America, with over 50 species documented in the fossil record,” stated Dr. Daniel Fraser, a researcher from the Canadian Museum of Nature, Carleton University, and the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History.

“The inclusion of this Arctic species enriches our understanding of the evolutionary history of rhinoceroses.”

Epiaceratherium ijirik was relatively small and slender, comparable in size to a modern Indian rhinoceros, but notably lacked a horn.

The fossilized remains were excavated from the sediments of a fossil-abundant lake in Horton Crater on Devon Island, Nunavut.

“What’s impressive about this Arctic rhinoceros is the excellent condition of the fossilized bones,” remarked Dr. Marisa Gilbert, also from the Canadian Museum of Nature.

“They are three-dimensionally preserved and only partially mineralized.”

“Approximately 75 percent of the skeleton has been recovered, which is remarkably complete for a fossil.”

By analyzing the occurrences of 57 other now-extinct rhino species, researchers traced the family tree of Epiaceratherium ijirik.

The findings were derived from visits to museum collections, reviews of scientific literature, and database analyses.

The researchers were also able to geographically categorize each rhino species across five continental regions.

This exhaustive process employed mathematical modeling techniques to gauge dispersal rates among different continents within the Rhinocerotidae family, with scoring based on their locations.

The analysis sheds light on how rhinoceroses utilized the North Atlantic land bridge for migration between North America and Europe (via Greenland) over millions of years.

Previous studies indicated that the land bridge may have served solely as a migration route until about 56 million years ago.

However, the new analysis implies that Epiaceratherium ijirik and its relatives suggest that these migrations from Europe to North America could have occurred much more recently, potentially as late as the Miocene.

“Discovering and describing new species is always thrilling and enlightening,” noted Dr. Fraser.

“But there is more to be gleaned from this identification: Epiaceratherium ijirik reveals that the North Atlantic played a more significant role in rhinoceros evolution than previously acknowledged.”

“Overall, this study reaffirms that the Arctic continues to unveil new insights and discoveries, enhancing our understanding of mammalian diversification across epochs.”

Results of this research are published in the journal Nature Ecology and Evolution.

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D. Fraser et al. Dispersal of rhinos through the North Atlantic during the mid-Cenozoic Era. Nat Ecol Evol published online October 28, 2025. doi: 10.1038/s41559-025-02872-8

Source: www.sci.news

Study Suggests Hippos Roamed Central Europe 40,000 Years Ago

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Small, isolated groups of the Common hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius) were present in the upper reaches of the Rhine River in southwestern Germany during the Middle Ages. New research indicates their presence during the Weichselian period, which spanned from approximately 47,000 to 31,000 years ago.

Radiocarbon dating indicates that the common hippopotamus was present in the middle Weichselian (Hippopotamus amphibius) in the upper reaches of the Rhine River, Germany. Image credit: Gemini AI.

Hippos likely made their way into Europe from Africa through multiple waves, involving various species within the Hippopotamus genus, including the common hippo, which currently inhabits only sub-Saharan Africa.

At their peak distribution in Europe, hippos were found from the British Isles in the northwest to the Iberian and Italian peninsulas in the south.

Their fossil record generally suggests they thrived in temperate climates, characterized by denser vegetation and abundant freshwater bodies.

Nevertheless, their origins and relation to today’s African hippos, as well as the precise timing of their extinction in central Europe, remain ambiguous.

“Previously, it was thought that the common hippopotamus extirpated from central Europe around 115,000 years ago with the conclusion of the last interglacial period,” stated co-senior author Professor Wilfried Rosendahl, general director of the Ries-Engelhorn Mannheim Museum.

“Our findings reveal that hippos inhabited the Upper Rhine Valley in southwestern Germany from about 47,000 to 31,000 years ago.”

For this study, Professor Rosendahl and his team analyzed 19 hippo specimens collected from a fossil site located in the rift valley upstream of the Rhine River.

“The Upper Rhine Rift Valley serves as a significant continental climate archive,” noted study co-author Dr. Ronnie Friedrich, a researcher at the Kurt Engelhorn Zentrum Archaeological Institute.

“Animal bones preserved for millennia in gravel and sand deposits provide invaluable data for scientific inquiry.”

“It’s astonishing how well-preserved the bones are,” he added.

“In many human remains, we’ve successfully obtained samples suitable for analysis, but such conditions are not to be expected after such extended periods.”

By analyzing ancient DNA, researchers discovered that Ice Age hippos in Europe share a close relationship with modern African hippos, being part of the same species.

Radiocarbon dating confirmed their existence during the mid-Weichselian temperate climatic phase.

Furthermore, extensive genome-wide analyses indicated very low genetic diversity, suggesting a small, isolated population in the upper Rhine region.

These results, in conjunction with additional fossil evidence, imply that the heat-loving hippos coexisted with cold-adapted species such as mammoths and woolly rhinos.

“This finding indicates that hippos did not vanish from central Europe at the end of the last interglacial period, as was previously thought,” stated study lead author Dr. Patrick Arnold, a researcher at the University of Potsdam.

“Thus, there’s a necessity to reevaluate other continental European hippo fossils typically considered to belong to the last interglacial period.”

“This study provides significant new insights that compellingly demonstrate that the Ice Age was not uniform everywhere but rather that regional specificities contributed to a complex picture,” remarked Professor Rosendahl.

“It would be intriguing and valuable to further examine other heat-loving animal species that have so far been linked to the last interglacial.”

This result was published in the journal on October 8, 2025, in Current Biology.

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Patrick Arnold et al. Ancient DNA and dating evidence show hippos dispersed into central Europe during the last ice age. Current Biology published online October 8, 2025. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2025.09.035

Source: www.sci.news

A Mysterious Whale Species Roamed Australia’s Waters 25 Million Years Ago

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Small, toothed mammals represent the most unusual of all whales. If they were still around today, they would be as symbolically Australian as kangaroos. A new paper published this week in The Linnaean Society’s Journal of Zoology details a recently identified species named Janjucetus lullardi, derived from a 25 million-year-old specimen unearthed in Victoria, Australia.

Janjucetus lullardi — 25 million years ago, a calf and its mother swam in the shallow waters off the coast of Victoria. Image credit: Ruairidh Duncan.

“Currently, some of the most iconic species of whales, including blue and humpback whales, are whale veil.” I noted, said LeAilid Duncan, a paleontologist from Monash University.

“These marine giants utilize a hairy filter in their mouths called Baleen to sift through plankton.

“In contrast, these mammals had bodies measuring less than 3 meters, with large eyes and short jaws filled with teeth.”

“Despite this description, we know that mammalian whales lacked Baleen.”

“They appeared to be derived from the major evolutionary lines leading to today’s toothless giants.”

All known mammalian species thrived during the late Oligocene epoch, approximately 27 to 23 million years ago.

Interestingly, three of the four identified species were found along the Victoria Surf Coast, southeast of Melbourne.

“The first mammal was uncovered in 1932 and was named in 1939 Mammalian Coraliber,” the paleontologist remarked.

“It featured a blunt jaw bone with a rich supply of blood and nerves for its facial and lip muscles.”

“Notably, the teeth show signs of wear on the gums, indicating they foraged for abrasive prey (along with gritty substances) from the seafloor.”

“In 2006, a local naturalist discovered the first fossil of a species named after him, Janjucetus hunderi.

“This whale had a sturdy triangular snout with sharp teeth and strong muscles to close its powerful jaw.”

“However, the exact differences in the lifestyle of Mammalian Coraliber and Janjucetus hunderi compared to other whales remain largely unclear, hinting at a diverse range of behaviors.”

The fossilized remains of Janjucetus lullardi, dating back 25 million years, were found in 2019 by school principal Ross Dallard along the coast of Yang JUC in Victoria.

“Janjucetus lullardi measured about 2 meters in length. It’s compact enough to fit in a standard single bed,” the researcher noted.

“This may be the first fossilized whale discovered in Australia, and potentially the first fossils of a juvenile whale found in this region.”

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Ruairidh J. Duncan et al. 2025. Insights into the mystiology of immature teeth from the Australian Oligocene and mammals (Cetacea: Mysticeti) morphology, phylogenetics, and ontogeny. The Linnaean Society’s Journal of Zoology 204 (4): ZLAF090; doi: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlaf090

Source: www.sci.news

The Mighty Hidden Muscle Dinosaurs that Roamed Cretaceous European Islands

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New genus and species of Titanosaurus have been identified from fossilized sites found in the Hayeg Basin, Transylvania, western Romania.

The artist's impression of the lithotrothian dinosaur herd (right). Image credit: Abelov/CC by 3.0.

The newly identified species was alive Haeg IslandA large subtropical land located in the Thetis Sea about 70 million years ago (Cretaceous).

dubbing uriash kadicithe animals belong to Lithostrotiaa group of titanosaurus dinosaurs containing many armored species.

“The sauropod dinosaurs on Titanosaurus include the largest animal walking on land, with a huge species of over 60 tons,” says Paleoliths at the Museum of Fool Naturkunde, a Livenitz Installation Fool Evolution. said Dr. Veronica Dees Diaz, a scholar. colleague.

“By the late Cretaceous, Titanosaurus had achieved almost global distribution.

“Despite the rich and global fossil record, the evolutionary relationships of Titanosaurus are less known, limiting our understanding with this diverse megaharbibaud (the only group of sauropods is , the only group to survive the latest Cretaceous period).

“European giants in particular have been largely ignored in phylogenetic analysis,” they said.

“This neglect comes mainly from the historical advantages of the Gondwana species and the rarity and imperfection of Laurasian artefacts, particularly from Europe.”

“However, this began to change with the combination of reassessment of existing species and specimens and the discovery of new sites with distinct partial skeletons.”

“As a result, the fossil records of the most recent Cretaceous European sauropods are increasingly important for biogeographical scenarios, and rich evolutionary history is increasingly recognized for increasing incorporation into phylogenetic analysis. It is beginning to make clear.

Holotype of uriash kadici It was discovered in the formation of density in the Hayeg Basin, Romania.

Dinosaurs are estimated to weigh between 5 to 8 tons and their body length is close to 12 m.

“uriash kadici It is the largest titanosaurus species known from the Ha eg basin, exceeding the maximum reached by most other late Cretaceous European Titanosaurus. Abitosaurus (Estimated at 14 tons and 17.5 m long)”, the paleontologist said.

The existence of large giants such as ” uriash kadici It is worth noting and requires explanation as it appears to contradict, or at least weaken, the supposed behavior of “island domination” over these faunas. ”

uriash kadici It coexists with three other Titanosaurus species. Majarosaurus Dax, PaluditiTan nalatzensis and Petrustitan Hungarian.

The diversity was probably even higher, as evidenced by the substantial amounts of fossils involved.

“Our phylogenetic analysis shows that these Transylvanian titanosaurus exhibit particularly close relationships with Gondwana species. Majarosaurus Retrieved as a member or relative of the Saltasauria family. Palditian Affinity with lognkosauria and the Spanish Titanosaurus that were almost the same era Lohuecotitan; Petrustitan It is most closely related to early branched eutitanosaurian species in South America. and Uriash We share a unique feature with Gondwanan Titanosaurs,” they said.

“These analyses also reinforce the paleobiogeographic hypothesis that the latest Cretaceous European giants were members of the Gondwana lineage that invaded the old regions during the ages of Valemia and Albia.”

“Since the first discovery, Majarosaurus Dax The island's dwarfs have been identified as star sauropods, proposed as explanations for the small size of this species and other dinosaurs on Hayeg Island. ”

“on the other hand Palditian and Petrustitan It is also a small body sauropod. Uriash It is several orders of magnitude heavier and represents one of the largest Titanosaurus species found in the Late Cretaceous period of Europe. ”

“We have shown that the existence of this body size disparity is ecologically excluded from body size reduction due to competition with small-body titanosaurus, or as evidence that some lineages and small We interpret it as evidence that it occurred early in stratigraphically among the giants of the body. Hayeg Island has descendants of existing dwarf ancestors.”

“In contrast to some previous studies, signs of titanosaurus leaving the body size, including swapping the War star species for larger-sized species during the top Cretaceous period of the Transylvanian region. I can't see it.”

Discovery of uriash kadici Reported in a paper It was released this month Journal of Systematic Palaeontology.

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Veronica Dies Dias et al. 2025. The Romanian sauropod dinosaur revision reveals high titanosaurus diversity and body size disparities on Hayeg Island of Titanosaurus, affecting the biogeography of Titanosaurus. Journal of Systematic Palaeontology 23(1): 2441516; doi: 10.1080/14772019.2024.2441516

Source: www.sci.news

The Magnificent Giant Flying Squirrel that Roamed North America

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Paleontologists have discovered 4.9 million (Early Pliocene) fossilized ruins of an extinct flying squirrel Myopetaulista Webbi Tennessee, USA. Generation of the genus Myopetaulista Eastern North America is bewildered because it is separated from the known geographical range of the genus and the extent of organisms of its sister species. Petaurista. Researchers assume that Myopetaulista which is linked to a warm forest environment and was dispersed across North America through the Beringland Bridge during the warm phase of the early Pliocene.

The lifespan of a flying fossil squirrel Miopetaurista neogrivensis It indicates that the animal is ready to land on a tree branch. Image credit: Oscasani Sidro / ICP.

Myopetaulista Webbi It jumps over the sky in what is now southern Appalachia, sliding over rhinoceros, mastodons and red pandas.

New materials of this kind have been discovered in Grey Fossil Site In Tennessee.

“discovery Myopetaulista In North America, this genus was very unexpected because it is known only from Eurasia,” said Dr. Isaac Casanovas Bilar, paleontologist at Mikel Crusafont of paleontology at the University of Barcelona. .

“There have been some uncertain reports from Florida, but new specimens from the grey fossil site provide new information, with these giant flying squirrels coming together alongside other mammals around five million years ago. It helped me to make sure I crossed the bridge.”

According to paleontologists, Myopetaulista Webbi Probably closely related Myopetaulista Tarelionly known Pliocene Eurasian species.

“The Appalachians today may try to think of these ancient creatures as closely related to the squirrels that regularly see them,” the researchers said.

“However, their closest relatives are giant flying squirrels from Japan, China, and Indonesia.”

“These giant flying squirrels have a lightweight build, weighing around three pounds, and were pretty agile on the treetop.”

“When they arrived in Tennessee now, the world was much warmer than it is now.”

“Its warm climate allows squirrel ancestors to travel across North America and could slip through dense, damp forests like those preserved in the fossil records of grey sites millions of years ago.”

The new specimen is Myopetaulista A genus of North America.

“As the climate cooled over time, Pleistocene ice age led to the isolation of these giant flying squirrels in warm shelters like Florida, and ultimately contributed to their extinction.” Miquel Crusafont from the University of Barcelona.

“The Last American Myopetaulista It has lived for millions of years since the species of Eurasian of this genus disappeared.

Team's work It was published in Journal of Mammalian Evolution.

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M. Grau-Camats et al. 2025. Intercontinental Sliding: A Review of the North American Records of Giant Flying Squirrels Myopetaulista (Rodentia, Sciuridae) Description of new materials for the grey fossil site (Tennessee). J Mammal Evol 32, 8; doi:10.1007/s10914-025-09751-w

Source: www.sci.news

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

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

Bust Don Siltos. Image credit: Ahmad Morsi.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Source: www.sci.news

An ancient saber-toothed predator roamed 270 million years ago

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Reconstruction of the oldest known gorgonopsian

henry sutherland sharpe

The earliest known sabertooths hunted large prey 270 million years ago. The newly discovered remains could help explain how early mammal relatives became warm-blooded animals.

The first land predators usually hunted relatively small prey. But things changed about 273 million years ago, when an event known as the Olson extinction shook ecosystems around the world. Then, much larger terrestrial herbivores began to appear, and predators needed new weapons to dispatch such large prey. Josep Fortuny At the Miquel Cursafont Catalan Institute of Paleontology, Barcelona, ​​Spain.

This may help explain why the fossilized partial skeleton of an ancient predator that Fortuny and his colleagues just discovered on the Spanish island of Mallorca had saber-shaped teeth. These fangs are better suited for injuring larger prey than for grabbing and holding small animals. “This was the first time we had access to this kind of tool for preying on herbivores,” Fortuny said.

Dating back an estimated 270 million years, this predator is the oldest known member of a group of carnivores known as gorgonopsians, all of whom had saber-shaped teeth. The largest gorgonopsids grew to several meters in length, with canine teeth reaching 15 centimeters in length. The Mallorca gorgonopsian was smaller, measuring about 1 meter long and its canine teeth only 5 centimeters long. Fortuny said researchers are waiting to name the new gorgonopsian until they have analyzed the bones and teeth in more detail.

Ancient predators are important not only because of their age. At the time they roamed Mallorca, the island was part of a tropical supercontinent called Pangea, but all known fossils of gorgonopsids date back 270 million years. They come from areas of the world that were at high latitudes. The new discovery suggests that the gorgonopsian actually originated near the equator.

Perhaps adaptations developed there, such as the ability to efficiently hunt large prey, may have allowed them to regulate their body temperature in order to spread into cooler habitats away from the equator.

Fortuny says it’s important to better understand this process because gorgonopsids belonged to the therapsids, a group of animals that also includes mammals. “There’s a lot of debate about the first steps in thermoregulation in this group,” he says.

topic:

Source: www.newscientist.com

47 million years ago, the world’s largest earthworm lizard roamed Earth

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Paleontologists have described a new genus and species of the trogonophid Amphisbaenian (worm lizard) from fossil specimens discovered in Tunisia.

rebuilding the life of Terrastiodontosaurus Marcelo Sanchesi Ready to prey on large snails of the Brimulidae family. Image credit: Jaime Chirinos.

Terrastiodontosaurus Marcelo Sanchesi They lived in what is now Africa during the Eocene epoch, about 47 million years ago.

The new species belongs to Trogonophidae, a small family of limbless carnivorous lizard-like reptiles belonging to the clade Amphisbaenia.

“Amphibians are a group of charismatic fossil squamates with bizarre morphological features and extreme anatomical variations,” said lead author Dr. Georgios Georgalis of the Institute of Animal Systemology and Evolution, Polish Academy of Sciences and his colleagues. said a colleague.

“In particular, its unique skeletal structure has fascinated and puzzled researchers since the 19th century.”

“Before the advent and widespread acceptance of phylogenetics, amphibians were considered to be the third major group of squamates, along with Serpenta and the paraphyletic 'Lacerthilla'.”

“However, recent phylogenetic analyzes place them as a sister group to lizards in the family Caricidae, and this topology is supported by both molecular evidence and a combination of morphological and molecular evidence. The name Lacertibaenia has also been proposed for the clade Amphisbaenia + Lacertidae.

“Amphibians have a relatively rich fossil record spanning the Cenozoic era in Europe and North America, in addition to several Neogene and Quaternary occurrences from South America and some from Africa. Paleogene, Neogene, and Quaternary productions, very few Neogene productions from the Arabian Peninsula, and very few Neogene occurrences from southwest Asia. is. ”

“Trogonophidae is a fairly distinctive group of amphibians that is today distributed across northern and north-central Africa (including Socotra Island in Yemen) and the Middle East,” the researchers added.

“Currently, four extant genera are recognized. Agamodon, Diplometopon, Pachykaramasu, and the type genus, Trogonophis”

The most distinguishing feature of trogonophids is their hooked teeth, a feature found only among squamates in the otherwise Iguanian group Chronophytes. ”

“Trogonophids have other unique features among amphibians, including locomotion and burrowing patterns, shoulder girdle or hemipenes morphology, chromosomes, spinal arrangement, lack of caudal autodissection, and triangular cross-section. It also has features.

some specimens Terrastiodontosaurus Marcelo Sanchesi It was discovered in a place where fossils of Jebel Chanbi Nature Park In Tunisia.

“Jebel Chambi National Park is located in the Kasserine region of central-western Tunisia,” the paleontologists said.

“Material for this study was obtained from a fossiliferous site (Chambi locus 1) consisting of fluvial-lacustrine deposits located at the base of the Chambi continental sequence.”

“These habitats support fish, amphibians, turtles, crocodiles, squamates, birds, and mammals such as bats, primates, euphorians, hyaenodonts, hyracoids, elephant shrews, marsupials, and mammals. It produces a diverse population of aquatic and terrestrial vertebrates, including rodents and sirenians.

Terrastiodontosaurus Marcelo Sanchesi At over 90 centimeters (35 inches) long, it was the largest amphibian ever known.

“Among the extant amphibian fliers, Amphisbaena Alba is the largest species, reaching a maximum total length of 81 centimeters (32 inches) and a skull length of more than 3.1 centimeters (1.2 inches), the researchers said.

Virtually all modern amphibians are burrowing animals and rarely appear on the surface outside of underground environments.

Nevertheless, certain features Terrastiodontosaurus Marcelo Sanchesi They seem to contradict this natural history pattern and instead suggest that ancient species likely lived on the surface of the earth.

This is further supported by the extreme size. Terrastiodontosaurus Marcelo Sanchesi which makes underground habits less likely to occur.

“Terrastiodontosaurus Marcelo Sanchesi “This is a significant contribution to the fossil record of the hitherto little-known African Amphisbaenia, making it only the fifth species to be named extinct on the African continent,” the scientists concluded. .

“Furthermore, the new material from Chambi further adds to the extremely poor fossil record of the Trogonophidae.”

Regarding new species, paper this week, Zoological journal of the Linnean Society.

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Georgios L. Georgalis others. 2024. The world's largest earthworm lizard: a new giant trogonophid (Squamata: Amphisbaenia) with extreme dental adaptations from the Eocene of Chambi, Tunisia. Zoological journal of the Linnean Society 202 (3): zlae133;doi: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlae133

Source: www.sci.news

145 million years ago in Thailand, a distant relative of T. rex roamed the land

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A team of paleontologists from Kasetsart University, Mahasarakham University and Sirindhorn Museum have unearthed three fossilized teeth from a previously unknown non-tyrannosaurid tyrannosauroid dinosaur in northeastern Thailand.

Paleoenvironmental reconstruction of the Late Jurassic Phu Kradung Formation, northeastern Thailand. Image courtesy of Chacharin Somboon.

“Tyrannosauroidea is a lineage of theropods, which includes some of the best-known carnivorous dinosaurs. Tyrannosaurus Rex “From the Late Cretaceous of North America.” Dr. Chacharam Ketwetulya Kasetsart University and colleagues.

“They lived primarily on the supercontinent of Laurasia from the Middle Jurassic to the Late Cretaceous.”

“The oldest known species of tyrannosauroids are found in the Middle Jurassic of Europe and Asia, suggesting that this group of theropods originated within Eurasia.”

“Tyrannosauroidea ranged across Asia from the Late Jurassic to the Late Cretaceous, with most Asian tyrannosaurids found in China and Mongolia.”

The three tyrannosauroid teeth examined by the research team were discovered in the Phu Noi area of ​​Khammuang district, Kalasin province, northeastern Thailand.

The specimen dates back to the Tithonian stage of the Jurassic period, approximately 145 million years ago.

A basal tyrannosauroid tooth from the Phu Noi region of Thailand. Image courtesy of Chowchuvech others.

“The Phu Noi area is known to be one of the richest sources of Mesozoic vertebrate fossils in Southeast Asia,” the paleontologists said.

“Many species have been unearthed from the site, including freshwater sharks, ray-finned fish, lungfish, amphibians, turtles, crocodylomorphs, pterosaurs and dinosaurs.”

“Three species of dinosaurs have been identified in the Phu Noi area: a metriacanthosaurid theropod, a mamenchisaurid sauropod and a basal neoornithischian. Minimo Cursor.”

“Three of the theropod teeth from the Phu Noi area display unique dental features that distinguish them from previously discovered metriacanthosaurid theropods, including lateral teeth with twisted mesial ridges on the proximal lingual side that extend above the cervical line and interwoven enamel surface textures,” the researchers added.

“Morphological examination and systematic and morphometric analyses reveal that these isolated teeth indicate basal tyrannosauroid relationships, Five colors of the dragon and Proceratosaurus bradleyi From the Jurassic Period.”

“This discovery marks the first report of a tyrannosauroid from the Jurassic of Southeast Asia and contributes to our knowledge of the paleoecology of the lower continent.” Phu Kradung Formation“Our results shed light on the morphological and morphological distribution of tyrannosauroids during the Late Jurassic, and on the paleobiogeographic distribution of tyrannosauroids during the Late Jurassic,” the researchers concluded.

“Furthermore, this study sheds light on the possibility that future excavations and research may uncover new species of dinosaurs in Thailand.”

of study Published in the journal Tropical Natural History.

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W. Chochubek others2024. First discovery of a basal tyrannosauroid in Southeast Asia: dental evidence from the Late Jurassic of northeastern Thailand. Tropical Natural History 24（1） : 84-95

Source: www.sci.news

A ‘Giant’ Predator Roamed the Waters of Greenland 518 Million Years Ago

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It has fins on the sides of its body, a unique head with long antennae, a huge jaw structure in its mouth, and can grow to over 30 cm (11.8 inches) in length. Timole Bestia Copley It was one of the largest animals in the ocean during the early Cambrian period.

reconstruction of Timole Bestia Copley Among the pelagic ecosystems preserved in Sirius Passet. Other species shown in the foreground are key salt kia, silicalis, Kerygmacella, Paulo end point, Kleptosurand Isoxis; There are also two radioactive substances in the background. Tamisiocharis And Unplected Belid. Image credit: Robert Nicholls/BobNichollsArt.

Timole Bestia Copley They lived in the early Cambrian oceans over 518 million years ago.

The fossilized remains of this animal were discovered in Fossil locality of Sirius Passet in northern Greenland.

“We previously knew that the main predators of the Cambrian were primitive arthropods, including the bizarre-looking anomalocariids,” said Dr Jacob Binther, a palaeontologist at the University of Bristol.

“but, Timole Bestia Copley is a distant but close relative of a living caterpillar; or Chetognath. These are much smaller marine predators today, feeding on small zooplankton. ”

“Our study shows that these ancient marine ecosystems were fairly complex and had food chains that tolerated multiple layers of predators.”

“Timole Bestia They were the giants of their time and would have been near the top of the food chain. As such, they are as important as major carnivores in the modern ocean, such as Cambrian sharks and seals. ”

Inside a fossilized digestive system Timole Bestia CopleyDr. Vinther et al. Isoxis.

“We can see that these arthropods were a food source for many other animals,” says palaeontologist Dr Morten Lunde Nielsen of the Korean Polar Research Institute, the University of Bristol and the British Geological Survey.

“They were very common in Sirius Passet and had long protective spines pointing both forward and backward.”

“But it is clear that they could not completely avoid that fate. Timole Bestia I munched on them in large quantities. ”

holotype of Timole Bestia Copley.Image credit: Park other., doi: 10.1126/sciadv.adi6678.

“Arrowworms are one of the oldest animal fossils from the Cambrian period. Arthropods appear in the fossil record about 521 to 529 million years ago, but arrowworms appear in the fossil record at least 500 million years ago. It can be traced back to 38 million years ago,” Dr. Vinter said.

“Both arrowworms and more primitive arrowworms, Timole Bestia, was a swimming predator. Therefore, we can infer that they were likely predators that dominated the oceans before arthropods took off. ”

“They probably had a dynasty for about 10 to 15 million years before being replaced by other more successful groups.”

“Timole Bestia “This is a hugely important discovery for understanding where these jawed predators came from,” said Dr Luke Parry from the University of Oxford.

“Today, the caterpillar has formidable setae on the outside of its head to catch prey, but Timole Bestia There is a jaw in the head. ”

“This is the bearded bug that we can see under a microscope today, and it is an organism that shared an ancestor with the bearded bug more than 500 million years ago.”

“Timole Bestia And other fossils like it provide a link between closely related organisms that look very different today. ”

“Our discovery confirms how the beetles evolved,” said Dr. Taeyoon Park, a paleontologist at the Korea Polar Research Institute.

“The abdomen of living arrowworms has a unique nerve center called the ventral ganglion. It is completely unique to these animals.”

“I found this saved. Timole Bestia and another fossil called Amiskwia”

“People are, Amiskwia As part of the evolutionary stem lineage, it was closely related to the caterpillar. ”

“The preservation of these unique ventral ganglia gives us even more confidence in this hypothesis.”

team's work It was published in the magazine scientific progress.

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Taeyoon S. Park other. 2024. Chaetognus in the giant stem group. scientific progress 10(1); doi: 10.1126/sciadv.adi6678

Source: www.sci.news