By NewsBlogger Researchers at The University of Texas at Austin have identified a new species of aetosaur, Garzapelta muelleri, while scientists also discovered a 16 million-year-old giant freshwater dolphin species, Pebanista yacuruna, in the Peruvian Amazon region.
At a glance
- New species of aetosaur identified: Garzapelta muelleri
- Garzapelta lived 215 million years ago, resembling a modern American crocodile
- Distinctive spikes on Garzapelta’s bony plates for protection
- Convergence in spike structures as an example of convergent evolution
- Study supported by National Science Foundation and Jackson School funding
The details
Researchers at The University of Texas at Austin have recently identified a new species of aetosaur, named Garzapelta muelleri.
Aetosaurs are ancient, heavily armored reptiles closely related to modern crocodiles that existed before the time of dinosaurs.
Fossils of aetosaurs have been discovered on every continent except Antarctica and Australia.
The study of Garzapelta muelleri
The study examined a suit of armor belonging to Garzapelta that was about 70% complete.
Garzapelta muelleri lived approximately 215 million years ago and bore a striking resemblance to a modern American crocodile.
The bony plates that covered Garzapelta, known as osteoderms, featured curved spikes on its sides for protection.
Despite primarily being omnivorous, Garzapelta had distinctive spikes that were similar to those of another aetosaur species, albeit with distant evolutionary relations.
This convergence in spike structures serves as an example of convergent evolution.
Unique features on Garzapelta’s plates helped distinguish it as a new species, although its exact placement within the aetosaur family tree posed challenges for researchers.
Additional discoveries in paleontology
The research on Garzapelta was supported by funding from the National Science Foundation and the Jackson School.
The study’s co-authors, Jeffrey Martz and Bryan Small, played key roles in the investigation.
In a separate discovery, scientists uncovered a 16 million-year-old giant freshwater dolphin species in the Peruvian Amazon region.
Named Pebanista yacuruna, this new species is the largest river dolphin ever documented, measuring between 3 and 3.5 meters in length.
Pebanista yacuruna belongs to the Platanistoidea group of dolphins that were prevalent in the world’s oceans between 24 and 16 million years ago.
Contrary to expectations, the new dolphin species shares close genetic ties with South Asian river dolphins rather than Amazon River dolphins.
Both Pebanista and Platanista exhibit highly developed facial crests associated with echolocation.
The discovery of Pebanista offers valuable insights into the evolutionary dynamics of river dolphins, shedding light on their ancient history.
The Pebas system in the Peruvian Amazonia, where Pebanista was found, transitioned into modern Amazonia approximately 10 million years ago, leading to the eventual extinction of Pebanista.
However, the challenging conditions posed by rising water levels during the rainy season in the Amazon rainforest make paleontological fieldwork in the region a complex endeavor.
The holotype of Pebanista yacuruna was unearthed in 2018 during an expedition spearheaded by Peruvian paleontologist Rodolfo Salas-Gismondi, marking a significant milestone in the study of prehistoric river dolphins.
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| scitechdaily.com |
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| – Researchers identified a new aetosaur species, Garzapelta muelleri – Aetosaurs were heavily armored cousins of modern crocodiles that lived before dinosaurs – Aetosaur fossils are found on every continent except Antarctica and Australia – |
| The study was led by researchers at The University of Texas at Austin – The aetosaur suit of armor studied was about 70% complete – The new species was named Garzapelta muelleri – Garzapelta lived about 215 million years ago and resembled a modern American crocodile – The bony plates that covered Garzapelta are called osteoderms – Garzapelta’s sides were flanked by curved spikes for protection – Garzapelta was primarily omnivorous – |
| The spikes on Garzapelta are similar to another aetosaur species, but they are distantly related – |
| The similarities are an example of convergent evolution – Unique features on Garzapelta’s plates marked it as a new species – Garzapelta’s place in the aetosaur family tree was challenging to determine – |
| The research was funded by the National Science Foundation and the Jackson School – The study co-authors are Jeffrey Martz and Bryan Small |
| scitechdaily.com |
|---|
| – Scientists discovered a 16 million-year-old giant freshwater dolphin species in the Peruvian Amazon region – The new species, named Pebanista yacuruna, is the largest river dolphin ever found, measuring between 3 and 3.5 meters – Pebanista yacuruna belongs to the Platanistoidea group of dolphins that were common in the world’s oceans between 24 and 16 million years ago – The new dolphin species shares close relatives with South Asian river dolphins, not the Amazon River dolphins as expected – Pebanista and Platanista both have highly developed facial crests associated with echolocation – The discovery of Pebanista provides insights into the evolutionary dynamics of river dolphins – The Pebas system in the Peruvian Amazonia began to give way to modern Amazonia about 10 million years ago, leading to the extinction of Pebanista – The rising water levels during the rainy season in the Amazon rainforest pose challenges for paleontological fieldwork – |
| The holotype of Pebanista was found in 2018 during an expedition led by Peruvian paleontologist Rodolfo Salas-Gismondi |
