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Discovery Made by Geology Student from UFPR Reveals Marine Fossils from the Devonian Period in Paraná, Leading to the Identification of New Species and Even a New Family of Echinoderms, and Earns International Recognition with an Award Granted by a Traditional Paleontology Association in the United Kingdom.
The Geology student Malton Carvalho Fraga, from Federal University of Paraná (UFPR), participated in a research project that described marine fossils from the Devonian period in the state and, as a result, received the Undergraduate Prize 2020 from the British The Palaeontological Association.
The recognition came after a study that reviewed and detailed echinoderms preserved in rocks much older than the record of dinosaurs, within a time frame that spans 416 million to 359 million years, a temporal range associated with the Devonian.
Rocks from the Interior of Paraná Revealed an Ancient Marine Environment
The analyzed samples belong to the Campos Gerais, in areas of outcrops studied in municipalities such as Ponta Grossa and Jaguariaíva, now hundreds of kilometers from the coast, but that recorded marine environments in a distant past.
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This contrast between the current map and the ancient scenario recorded in the rocks helps explain why the materials attracted attention outside of Paraná, as the evidence points to a typically oceanic fauna in a region that is now continental.
The research was published in the Journal of South American Earth Sciences and, according to UFPR, even ranked as the most accessed article in the journal during the month it circulated, indicating strong international interest in the topic.
New Fossil Species and Creation of an Unprecedented Family
By comparing the preserved structures with known descriptions, researchers identified a set of characteristics that did not fit into cataloged species, leading to the proposition of new taxonomic categories for part of the material.
Among the results presented are the starfish species Paranaster crucis and the “sea serpent” species Marginix notatus, in addition to the genera Paranaster and Magnasterella, and the family Paranasteridae, named in honor of Paraná.
UFPR reported that Paranaster crucis was described from a single known specimen in the state, but with sufficient preservation to differentiate parts of the skeleton and support its separation from other recorded forms.
Marginix notatus was described as a large ophiuroid for the set of invertebrate fossils from the region, with a morphology capable of causing confusion at first glance, due to its combination of a wide body and short arms.
Scientific Challenge of Studying Echinoderm Fossils
A recurring difficulty in echinoderm fossils is that the skeletons of these animals are made up of thousands of microscopic ossicles, delicate elements that can disarticulate and disappear during fossilization, reducing the available information.
In UFPR’s institutional material, Malton stated that the team needed to conduct detailed morphological description and produce precise illustrations, relying on university infrastructure to capture details and compare variations between specimens.
This work included the use of electron microscopy, a resource mentioned by the university as part of the process that allowed for detailed images and supported the differentiation criteria in a type of fossil record that is often fragmented.
The rarity of the find is also linked to preservation, as not all fossils of ophiuroids and asteroids maintain clear diagnostic characteristics, which limits revisions and makes it less common to create new taxa based on Brazilian material.
International Award Recognizes Undergraduate Research
The Undergraduate Prize Scheme from The Palaeontological Association invites, every year, university departments offering paleontology courses to nominate an undergraduate student, and the award includes certificate and free membership for the period.
According to the public rules of the program, the membership extends throughout the remainder of the award year and for the following calendar year, with electronic access to the association’s journals and receipt of the newsletter, as well as other institutional benefits.
UFPR stated that Malton was the first student from the university to receive the Undergraduate Prize and that, according to the association itself, that certificate was the first awarded to a Brazilian student in four years.
The nomination, still according to the university, considered the academic performance and the student’s involvement in activities related to paleontology, in a trajectory that included scientific initiation, laboratory work, and participation in outreach projects.
UFPR’s Scientific Collection Helped Reveal Species
Part of the progress was made possible by a collection built over decades at the Paleontology Laboratory of UFPR, gathering samples collected by different classes and researchers, which allowed for comparison of materials from distinct points in the state.
With this collection, it became possible to review rare pieces associated with asteroids and ophiuroids in Brazilian Devonian rocks, connecting ancient field records to current description and imaging techniques, as well as updating interpretations.
By contextualizing the group, UFPR highlighted broad current diversity numbers, with thousands of living species of ophiuroids and over a thousand living species of starfish, a reference used to gauge interest in understanding ancient lineages.
In the case of Paraná’s Devonian, the study described extinct forms and reinforced the fossil potential of the Campos Gerais to reconstruct marine ecosystems from a time long before the dominant terrestrial occupation by vertebrates.
In a statement released by UFPR, Malton said that the Undergraduate Prize is “a very special recognition” as it can only be earned during undergraduate studies.
The student also associated the incentive with motivation to continue disseminating science through fossils and expanding knowledge about ancient seas that occupied Brazilian territory.
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