A fossil of a fish with cleaved teeth, around 249 million years old, has been found by Chinese scientists. Understand the importance of this discovery for understanding prehistoric fauna and its evolution!
A recent paleontological research in China revealed a discovery fascinating: a new species of fossil fish with cleaved teeth, named Triassus Wu.
This discovery was led by researcher Xu Guanghui, from the Institute of Paleontology and Paleoanthropology of Vertebrates of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and is an important milestone in the study of fish evolution.
Xu Guanghui's team conducted an expedition on the border between Jiangsu and Anhui provinces, in an area home to rock formations that are approximately 249 million years old.
- Goodbye, iPhone, Samsung and all cell phones? Mark Zuckerberg, owner of Instagram, WhatsApp and Facebook, helps create technology that can REPLACE smartphones
- Researchers discover bacteria capable of “eating” plastic, offering a revolutionary alternative to combat environmental pollution
- NASA's revolutionary telescope will launch in 2027 to discover new habitable worlds beyond Earth, with 100 times more power than the legendary Hubble!
- China launches tunnel boring machine with 5.000 tons of capacity and the largest diameter in the world! Innovation impresses engineering sector
During this exploration, six fossils were found preserved in limestone nodules, a common phenomenon in oceanic formations of the period Mesozoic. These fossils belong to a small marine carnivorous fish, about 11 centimeters long, that lived in the oceans of the Lower Triassic.
Characteristics of fish fossil Triassus Wu
O Triassus Wu is classified as a member of the family Schistodontidae, a group of fish that inhabited the Paleo-Tethys Ocean in the Triassic period. The study revealed that this new species shares several characteristics with other species of the genus Triassus, such as the presence of a beak bone and smooth scales.
However, the Triassus Wu is distinguished from other members of its family by the unique arrangement of its bones and the number of rows of scales present on its the body.
Furthermore, the Triassus Wu differs from species found in places such as Guizhou and Madagascar, and these other species were previously identified as Triassus eleganti e Madagascar Triassus.
The discovery of the Triassus Wu represents a new piece in the puzzle of fish evolution, offering a more detailed view of how these marine organisms have evolved over millions of years.
Scientific importance of the discovery
The fossils found and studied by Xu Guanghui's team shed new light on the classification of fish in the Schistodontidae family.
The paleontological study reviewed some ratings previous, suggesting that species previously identified in the Jiangsu region actually belong to the same group of fish already discovered in the Yangtze.
This revision of classifications demonstrates the continued importance of paleontology in correcting and improving our understanding of the evolution of species.
One of the most significant conclusions of the research was the redefinition of the phylogenetic relationship between Schistodontidae and other groups of finned fishes. This new analysis abandoned the idea that the group Verrucodontidae, previously classified within the order Schistodontidae, belongs to this same branch, establishing a new order for the group.
International collaboration
This research was conducted in collaboration with several academic institutions and museums in China, including the China University of Geosciences and the Zhejiang Nature Museum. The study was recently published in the academic journal Acta Vertebrate Paleontology, contributing significantly to the field of vertebrate paleontology.
The scientists involved hope that this discovery will lead to new research and an even deeper understanding of the evolution of fish and other marine life in the Triassic period.
Impact on the study of marine evolution
The discovery of the Triassus Wu is especially relevant because the Early Triassic was an era of great transformation for life on Earth, particularly in the oceans.
After the Permian mass extinction, the largest extinction event ever recorded, marine ecosystems began to reorganize and give rise to new species.
The Schistodontidae, including the Triassus Wu, represent a lineage of fish that adapted to these new environments, providing valuable insights into how marine life evolved after this global catastrophe.
With this new information, researchers have more tools to understand the dynamics of ancient ecosystems and how they influenced the biological diversity we observe in the oceans today.
The study of fossil fish such as the Triassus Wu not only teaches us about the past, but also helps us understand the challenges that current species may face in the face of climate and environmental change.