Dianosaur, snake or lizard? 242-million-year-old reptile discovered with bizarre teeth and skull |

Scientists unearthed a 242-million-year-old fossil, Agriodontosaurus helsbypetrae, in Devon, pushing again the origins of lepidosaurs. This reptile, the oldest recognized of its form, challenges earlier assumptions about early skull constructions and feeding habits. Unlike trendy kinfolk, it lacks key options however possesses distinctive, massive teeth, suggesting various evolutionary paths throughout the group.

Human and animal fossils are a window into the previous that give us a connection between the current and the previous. Scientists dug up a specimen that’s so previous and distinctive that it nudges again the origins of lizards, snakes, and the tuatara, and animals all a part of a bunch referred to as Lepidosauria.Fossils usually inform tales by means of fragments, like bits of bone, teeth, or skull elements, however this one is particular. Despite its measurement, it provides a transparent window into life practically 242 million years in the past, in the course of the Middle Triassic, lengthy earlier than dinosaurs dominated. It is a brand new perspective into how early reptiles regarded and functioned, particularly in how their skulls had been constructed and how they fed.

Tuatara

This discovery issues as a result of lepidosaurs at this time are in all places, together with the lizards, snakes, and the tuatara alone make up hundreds of species.

What did the scientists discover

Researchers on the University of Bristol have described a brand new species referred to as Agriodontosaurus helsbypetrae, discovered in 2015 on a seaside in Devon. According to their research printed in Nature and summarized in a Bristol University press launch, this reptile is now the oldest recognized lepidosaur and it lived within the Middle Triassic, about 242 million years in the past.

What makes this discovery particular?

Modern lepidosaurs, lizards, snakes, and the tuatara usually share options like teeth on the roof of the mouth, a hinged skull, and an open decrease temporal bar, which is a spot within the skull that helps with flexibility. The Devon fossil has none of these first two, nevertheless it does have the open decrease temporal bar.

Tuatara

Dan Marke, lead creator of the research, say, “The new fossil shows almost none of what we expected … It has no teeth on the palate, and no sign of any hinging. It does, though, have an open temporal bar, so one out of three. Not only this but it possesses some spectacularly large teeth compared to its closest relatives.”

It has triangular teeth

Even extra fascinating are the fossils’ teeth. A. helsbypetrae had massive, triangular teeth, particularly in comparison with its nearest kinfolk, possible used to pierce and shear the robust exoskeletons of bugs. According to Professor Michael Benton, co‑supervisor of the analysis, “The new beast has relatively large triangular‑shaped teeth and probably used these to pierce and shear the hard cuticles of its insect prey, pretty much as the tuatara does today.”The skull is tiny, about 1.5 centimeters lengthy, so finding out it was robust. Using superior instruments like synchrotron X‑ray imaging, the scientists might see high-quality anatomical particulars with out damaging the fossil.

Tuatara

What this tells us about reptile evolution

This specimen reveals that early lepidosaurs had been already enjoying with completely different skull shapes and feeding methods quite than following a set blueprint. The presence of simply one of many three anticipated skull options implies that traits like skull hinge and palate teeth developed later or in numerous mixtures.The tuatara will get described usually as a “living fossil,” however this discovery provides to the element. A. helsbypetrae demonstrates that the lineage the tuatara belongs to was as soon as extra various. The tuatara survived whereas many shut kinfolk didn’t, carrying ahead each ancestral and derived traits.