Post by shetu35 on May 2, 2024 4:29:29 GMT
The new species, named Elessaurus gondwanoccidens – in honor of the character Aragorn, from “The Lord of the Rings” – indicates that the group may have originated in South America Fossil of the new species may help understand one of the first lineages of reptiles after the Permian extinction A new species of Brazilian fossil reptile is the close cousin of the mysterious group of tanistropheids, according to a study published on April 8, 2020, in the open access journal PLOS ONE . The study has the participation of researchers from the Federal University of Santa Maria and the Federal University of Pampa (Rio Grande do Sul). After the Permian extinction 252 million years ago, reptiles took over global ecosystems. Among the first lineages to appear after this extinction are the tanistropheids, a group of long-necked animals whose ways of life are still a mystery, but which were successful in the Triassic period.
The initial evolution of this group, however, is still poorly understood, as fossils of its initial representatives are extremely rare. Researchers believe that the first tanistropheids may have appeared in the early Triassic, a time period from which fossils are especially rare. “The fossil was found in rocks from the beginning of the Triassic period, in the same outcrop from which other recently described species emerged, highlighting a fauna that is Cayman Islands Phone Number List not yet fully known. This fauna only partially correlates with fossils from South Africa, showing the relevance of the find. New collection efforts coordinated by UFSM and Unipampa were able to recover numerous new fossils, including two new species of reptiles in less than five years” comments Átila da Rosa, co-author of the work and responsible for collecting the fossil. “We usually only find isolated bones in Lower Triassic rocks. In this case, a fossil of a relatively complete hindlimb was found, representing the first find of articulated postcranial elements from this fossiliferous unit.
In the eyes of a paleontologist, a fossil like this reveals an enormous amount of information, explains Dr. Leonardo Kerber (CAPPA/UFSM), who is part of the team. Kerber also highlights the difficulty in preparing the specimen, which was carried out by the study leader, Tiane Oliveira, during her master's degree at the Postgraduate Program in Animal Biodiversity at the Federal University of Santa Maria. “It took almost two years for the bones to be fully exposed, as they were preserved within a rock that was extremely difficult to remove without damaging the fossil.” Comparisons show that this new fossil reptile, a partial skeleton composed of a hind limb, pelvis and tail vertebrae, is the closest relative of the tanistropheids. The new species was named Elessaurus gondwanoccidens . The name is partly derived from the Elvish language of JRR Tolkien, author of “The Lord of the Rings”. Elessar is the elven name of the character Aragorn, or Strider. The name refers to the new animal's long legs.
The initial evolution of this group, however, is still poorly understood, as fossils of its initial representatives are extremely rare. Researchers believe that the first tanistropheids may have appeared in the early Triassic, a time period from which fossils are especially rare. “The fossil was found in rocks from the beginning of the Triassic period, in the same outcrop from which other recently described species emerged, highlighting a fauna that is Cayman Islands Phone Number List not yet fully known. This fauna only partially correlates with fossils from South Africa, showing the relevance of the find. New collection efforts coordinated by UFSM and Unipampa were able to recover numerous new fossils, including two new species of reptiles in less than five years” comments Átila da Rosa, co-author of the work and responsible for collecting the fossil. “We usually only find isolated bones in Lower Triassic rocks. In this case, a fossil of a relatively complete hindlimb was found, representing the first find of articulated postcranial elements from this fossiliferous unit.
In the eyes of a paleontologist, a fossil like this reveals an enormous amount of information, explains Dr. Leonardo Kerber (CAPPA/UFSM), who is part of the team. Kerber also highlights the difficulty in preparing the specimen, which was carried out by the study leader, Tiane Oliveira, during her master's degree at the Postgraduate Program in Animal Biodiversity at the Federal University of Santa Maria. “It took almost two years for the bones to be fully exposed, as they were preserved within a rock that was extremely difficult to remove without damaging the fossil.” Comparisons show that this new fossil reptile, a partial skeleton composed of a hind limb, pelvis and tail vertebrae, is the closest relative of the tanistropheids. The new species was named Elessaurus gondwanoccidens . The name is partly derived from the Elvish language of JRR Tolkien, author of “The Lord of the Rings”. Elessar is the elven name of the character Aragorn, or Strider. The name refers to the new animal's long legs.
