Latest news with #JournalofVertebratePaleontology
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Newly discovered frog species from 55 million years ago challenges evolutionary tree
Australian tree frogs today make up over one third of all known frog species on the continent. Among this group, iconic species such as the green tree frog (Litoria caerulea) and the green and golden bell frog (Litoria aurea), are both beloved for their vivid colours and distinctive calls. In the Early Eocene epoch, 55 million years ago, Australia's tree frogs were hopping across the Australian continent from one billabong to the next through a forested corridor that also extended back across Antarctica to South America. These were the last remnants of ancient supercontinent Gondwana. In new research published today in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, we identify Australia's earliest known species of tree frog – one that once hopped and croaked around an ancient lake near the town of Murgon in south-eastern Queensland. This research demonstrates tree frogs were present in Australia 30 million years earlier than previously thought, living alongside Australia's earliest known snakes, songbirds and marsupials. Tree frogs (Pelodryadidae) have expanded discs on their fingers and toes enabling them to climb trees. Despite their name, however, they are known to occupy a wide range of habitats, from fast-flowing streams to ephemeral ponds. Australia's previously earliest tree frogs were recovered from Late Oligocene (about 26 million years old) and Early Miocene (23 million years old) fossil deposits. Late Oligocene frog fossils were found at Kangaroo Well in the Northern Territory and Lake Palankarinna in South Australia. They were also recently found in many deposits from the Riversleigh World Heritage Area in Queensland. It has long been known that South American tree frogs and Australian tree frogs shared a common Gondwanan ancestor. What is unknown is when this common ancestor lived. Based on some molecular data, it has been estimated that the two groups separated from this common ancestor as recent as 32.9 million years ago. Our new study was based on frog fossils from a deposit near the town of Murgon, located on the traditional lands of the Waka Waka people of south-eastern Queensland. These fossils accumulated some 55 million years ago. This was between the time when a colossal meteorite took out the non-flying dinosaurs and the time when Australia broke free from the rest of Gondwana to become an isolated continent. As well as ancient frog fossils, the Early Eocene freshwater clay deposit also contains fossils of ancient bats, marsupials, snakes, non-marine birds and potentially the world's oldest songbirds. We used CT scans of frogs preserved in ethanol from Australian museum collections to compare the three-dimensional shape of the fossil bones with those of living species. This method is called three-dimensional geometric morphometrics. It has only been used on fossil frogs once before. Using these new methods, we can unravel the relationships of these fossils to all other groups of frogs – both living and extinct. From its diagnostic ilium (one of three paired pelvic bones), we identified a new species of Litoria from the family Pelodryadidae. We named this species Litoria tylerantiqua in honour of the late Michael Tyler, a renowned Australian herpetologist globally celebrated for his research on frogs and toads. Litoria tylerantiqua joins the only other Murgon frog discovered so far, the ground-dwelling Platyplectrum casca, as the oldest frogs known from Australia. Both species have living relatives in Australia and New Guinea. This demonstrates the remarkable resilience over time of some of Australia's most fragile creatures. Our new research provides crucial new understanding that helps to calibrate molecular clock studies. This is a method scientists use to estimate when different species split from a common ancestor based on the calculated rate of genetic change over time. Our research indicates the separation of Australian tree frogs and South American tree frogs is at minimum 55 million years ago. This pushes back the estimated molecular separation time for these groups by 22 million years. Unravelling the deep-time changes in the diversity and evolution of the ancestors of today's living animals can provide important new insights into the way these groups have responded in the past to previous challenges. These challenges include former natural cycles of climate change. The more we know about the fossil record, the more likely we will better anticipate future responses to similar challenges, including human-induced climate change. This is especially important for critically endangered species such as the Southern Corroboree Frog and Baw Baw Frog. Now restricted to alpine habitats in New South Wales and Victoria, they are at serious risk of extinction due to global warming. This article is republished from The Conversation. It was written by: Roy M. Farman, UNSW Sydney and Mike Archer, UNSW Sydney Read more: Two lizard-like creatures crossed tracks 355 million years ago. Today, their footprints yield a major discovery Improving human beings to make them perform better: Why is transhumanism so harmful? Antarctica has a huge, completely hidden mountain range. New data reveals its birth over 500 million years ago Roy M. Farman received funding from the Research Training Program through the University of New South Wales. Mike Archer has received funding from the Australian Research Council, the Australian Geographic Society, the National Geographic Society, the Riversleigh Society Inc and private funding from Phil Creaser (the CREATE Fund in UNSW), K. and M. Pettit, D. and A. Jeanes and other benefactors.
CBC
16-04-2025
- Science
- CBC
Ankylosaur footprints from Canada are first of their kind in the world
Scientists have identified fossil dinosaur footprints from a new species in B.C. and Alberta. They're believed to be the first tracks found in the world to be identified as belonging to club-tailed ankylosaurs, offering new insights about gaps in the fossil record. The new species, which has been named Ruopodosaurus clava, would have been an armoured dinosaur about five to six metres long, reports a new study published this week in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. Victoria Arbour, curator of paleontology at the Royal B.C. Museum and lead author of the new study, said Ruopodosaurus would have lumbered through the coastal redwood forests between the Rocky Mountains and an inland sea that covered Saskatchewan and Alberta during the Middle Cretaceous, about 100 million to 94 million years ago. Previously identified footprints suggest the other creatures it lived alongside: giant crocodiles, duck-billed dinosaurs and bird-like dinosaurs — and a related group of four-toed ankylosaurs. But no bones of three-toed, club-tailed ankylosaurs have ever been found in North America from the Middle Cretaceous, which, until now, suggested they may have gone extinct during this time, before reappearing about 84 million years ago, perhaps by the migration of populations from Asia. The tracks from this new species suggest otherwise. This species, Arbour said, is "new for North America. It's new for the world…. And it really helps us fill in this gap in the fossil record." A tale of two ankylosaurs Like two-toed and three-toed sloths, there are two closely related branches of ankylosaurs with different numbers of toes: Ankylosaurids, which have three toes, and are famous for their tail clubs, which were either slim and stiff like a baseball bat, or round like the one on the famous well-preserved ankylosaur Zuul crurivastator, which lived around 75 million years ago. WATCH | Dinosaur Cold Case: Armoured Dinosaurs, featuring Zuul This "destroyer of shins" dinosaur may have used its armour as weapons |Dinosaur Cold Case 5 years ago Duration 1:34 Victoria Arbour, an evolutionary paleontologist at the Royal BC Museum, describes how some armoured dinosaurs likely used their horns, spines and armour for fighting each other, not just for protection. Nodosaurids, which have four toes, a flexible tail, and a longer snout. Many had big shoulder spikes, including Borealopelta ankylosaur, a well-preserved specimen found an an oilsands mine in 2011. WATCH | Meet one of the world's best-preserved dinosaurs, featuring Borealopelta Meet one of the world's best-preserved dinosaurs | Dinosaur Cold Case 5 years ago Duration 0:58 Nodosaurid prints were first found at Tumbler Ridge by two boys, 11-year-old Mark Turner and eight-year-old Daniel Helm, in 2001. That led to the discovery of other dinosaur trackways and fossils in the region, and the founding of the Tumbler Ridge Museum. What scientists learned about the new species Arbour first saw photos of the unusual tracks in the new study about five years ago. Some were found near Tumbler Ridge and others at a gas well on the other side of the B.C.-Alberta border. "I thought they were really strange and interesting looking and I was really curious about them," she recalled. Then in 2023, she visited the Tumbler Ridge Museum, and Charles Helm, Daniel's father and the scientific advisor at the museum, suggested they study the tracks together, along with some new ones that he and Daniel had found. Many included not just three-toed footprints, but the crescent-shaped, five fingered handprints that ankylosaurs are known to have. "And I got really excited," Arbour said. "I was like, 'You know, I think the only thing these really can be … is an ankylosaurid." The research confirmed that, and named the new species Ruopodosaurus clava, which means "tumbled-down lizard with a club/mace" referring to the location they were found and the distinctive feature of this ankylosaur family. Arbour said fossils found in China suggest that at this time, tail clubs were just starting to evolve in ankylosaurids, so this species may not have had a full round club like Zuul. Almost all the footprints were similar in size — about 30 centimetres long — suggesting that the average size of this species was about five or six metres long, or smaller than many ankylosaurs without tail clubs. Sometimes multiple trackways were found together, all heading in the same direction and never crossing, suggesting several animals may have been travelling together. Anthony Shillito is a University of Saskatchewan researcher who has previously studied dinosaur trackways from the Cretaceous that included four-toed ankylosaur footprints. He said footprints from three-toed ankylosaurs may have been found before, but there are so many three-toed dinosaurs that they would have been hard to identify without the distinctive handprints that were found with the footprints in Canada. "[The study] really made me think back to some of the footprints I've seen — maybe I misinterpreted it because I didn't have this information," he said. "Now people have a better idea of what they're looking for." And that may lead to more being found, and a better idea of where else these club-tailed ankylosaurs may have lived during the Middle Cretaceous, he suggested. The value of footprints vs. bones Paleontologist Scott Persons studied both fossil dinosaur tracks and ankylosaurs during his PhD at the University of Alberta, and is currently working on the study of a new nodosaur species. He said in showing that ankylosaurids lived in North America earlier than thought, the new study demonstrates the value of looking at both fossil footprints and bones. Those often get preserved under different conditions and contain different information. He noted that trackways often show multiple species that lived together at the same time, and can reveal other information. This new trackway also shows that wide, squat ankylosaurs — sometimes described as being coffee-table-like — had a surprisingly bird-like gait, lining up left and right feet like "supermodels on a runway." He added, "This track record shows us the coffee table analogy is a little bit flawed." On the other hand, he acknowledged, there is one drawback of footprints compared to bones.
CNN
28-03-2025
- Science
- CNN
Fossilized fish up to 16 million years old found in Australia, with last meal still intact
Summary Paleontologists discovered a fossilized fish species dating back up to 16 million years with its last meal intact. Named Ferruaspis brocksi, the fish was preserved in goethite, allowing researchers to examine its stomach contents. Analysis revealed the fish primarily fed on phantom midge larvae and provided first evidence of Osmeriformes in Australia. The fossil showed pigmented cells, giving insight into the fish's coloration and possible shoaling behavior to evade predators. The discovery suggests this freshwater species thrived in what was once a lush rainforest environment during the Miocene Epoch. Paleontologists have discovered a newly identified fish species in Australia so well-preserved that they could determine its last meal — dating back up to 16 million years to the Miocene Epoch. Researchers unearthed the fossilized freshwater fish, named Ferruaspis brocksi, at the McGraths Flat site in central New South Wales, according to a study published March 17 in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. The study team excavated multiple fossils containing F. brocksi, each entombed in goethite, an iron-rich mineral that maintained the fish in extraordinary detail. This rare fossilization process allowed researchers to examine the species' structural features, including its soft tissue, stomach and coloration patterns. 'Every time I have a detailed look at a fossil from McGraths Flat, I am amazed by its detailed preservation,' study coauthor Dr. Michael Frese, associate professor and virologist at the University of Canberra, said via email. 'It's very surprising, (and) it's extremely rare to be able to tell the colour of a fossil fish like this.' Beyond identifying a newfound species, researchers uncovered the first detailed evidence of Osmeriformes, a group that includes modern-day graylings and smelts, in Australia. Until now, scientists could only speculate when smelts first arrived on the continent due to a lack of fossil evidence, but this new finding offers crucial insights into the region's ancient ecosystem, Frese said. Tracing a prehistoric food web Using high-powered microscopes, paleontologists analyzed the stomach contents and intestinal tract of F. brocksi and found the fish primarily fed on various types of phantom midge larvae — an almost transparent insect larvae — along with insect wings and even a small bivalve, or a mollusk with hinged shells. 'Knowing their diet helps us start to paint a picture of food chains and food webs in the original environments,' said Dr. Anthony Martin, a professor of practice in the department of environmental sciences at Emory University in Atlanta, who was not involved in the study. One specimen of fish had a freshwater mussel attached to its tail fin. The finding is rare because the lake sediments where F. brocksi were found wouldn't have supported an environment for the bivalve to reach sexual maturity and produce glochidia — the larval, parasitic stage of some freshwater mussels, Frese said. He added that it's likely the parasites infected the fish in a nearby river, suggesting a connection between the fossil site and a neighboring waterway. The stomach contents not only helped paleontologists identify what the fish were eating but also when they were feeding. 'Many extant species of Chaoborus (phantom midge larvae) do not occur in lakes with fishes, and those that do co-exist with fishes often conduct a diurnal migration to avoid predatory fishes during the daytime,' Frese said. 'As most Chaoborus larvae spent most of the day in the sediment, hiding from pelagic predators, F. brocksi would likely have preyed on Chaoborus at night.' A glimpse into history One of the most surprising discoveries was the presence of melanophores or pigmented cells, offering insight into the fish's coloration. The fossils revealed F. brocksi had a slender body, similar to modern-day smelts. The fish also presented evidence of countershading, in which the animal was darker on the top and lighter on its stomach, with two stripes running along the length of its body, according to the study. Frese noted that this coloration pattern may indicate a shoaling behavior, in which fish gather in loose social groups. The countershading also likely helped the species evade predators from above, Martin added. While central New South Wales is now characterized by plains and plateaus, during the Miocene, the region was surrounded by lush rainforests, according to the study. The discovery of F. brocksi west of the Great Dividing Range suggests that, unlike most surviving Osmeriformes, this species may have spent its entire life in freshwater, according to the study. 'While this study is focused on one species of fish,' Frese said, 'it is part of a broader ecosystem that we are piecing together by excavating fossils from the site.'
CNN
28-03-2025
- Science
- CNN
Fossilized fish up to 16 million years old found in Australia, with last meal still intact
Summary Paleontologists discovered a fossilized fish species dating back up to 16 million years with its last meal intact. Named Ferruaspis brocksi, the fish was preserved in goethite, allowing researchers to examine its stomach contents. Analysis revealed the fish primarily fed on phantom midge larvae and provided first evidence of Osmeriformes in Australia. The fossil showed pigmented cells, giving insight into the fish's coloration and possible shoaling behavior to evade predators. The discovery suggests this freshwater species thrived in what was once a lush rainforest environment during the Miocene Epoch. Paleontologists have discovered a newly identified fish species in Australia so well-preserved that they could determine its last meal — dating back up to 16 million years to the Miocene Epoch. Researchers unearthed the fossilized freshwater fish, named Ferruaspis brocksi, at the McGraths Flat site in central New South Wales, according to a study published March 17 in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. The study team excavated multiple fossils containing F. brocksi, each entombed in goethite, an iron-rich mineral that maintained the fish in extraordinary detail. This rare fossilization process allowed researchers to examine the species' structural features, including its soft tissue, stomach and coloration patterns. 'Every time I have a detailed look at a fossil from McGraths Flat, I am amazed by its detailed preservation,' study coauthor Dr. Michael Frese, associate professor and virologist at the University of Canberra, said via email. 'It's very surprising, (and) it's extremely rare to be able to tell the colour of a fossil fish like this.' Beyond identifying a newfound species, researchers uncovered the first detailed evidence of Osmeriformes, a group that includes modern-day graylings and smelts, in Australia. Until now, scientists could only speculate when smelts first arrived on the continent due to a lack of fossil evidence, but this new finding offers crucial insights into the region's ancient ecosystem, Frese said. Tracing a prehistoric food web Using high-powered microscopes, paleontologists analyzed the stomach contents and intestinal tract of F. brocksi and found the fish primarily fed on various types of phantom midge larvae — an almost transparent insect larvae — along with insect wings and even a small bivalve, or a mollusk with hinged shells. 'Knowing their diet helps us start to paint a picture of food chains and food webs in the original environments,' said Dr. Anthony Martin, a professor of practice in the department of environmental sciences at Emory University in Atlanta, who was not involved in the study. One specimen of fish had a freshwater mussel attached to its tail fin. The finding is rare because the lake sediments where F. brocksi were found wouldn't have supported an environment for the bivalve to reach sexual maturity and produce glochidia — the larval, parasitic stage of some freshwater mussels, Frese said. He added that it's likely the parasites infected the fish in a nearby river, suggesting a connection between the fossil site and a neighboring waterway. The stomach contents not only helped paleontologists identify what the fish were eating but also when they were feeding. 'Many extant species of Chaoborus (phantom midge larvae) do not occur in lakes with fishes, and those that do co-exist with fishes often conduct a diurnal migration to avoid predatory fishes during the daytime,' Frese said. 'As most Chaoborus larvae spent most of the day in the sediment, hiding from pelagic predators, F. brocksi would likely have preyed on Chaoborus at night.' A glimpse into history One of the most surprising discoveries was the presence of melanophores or pigmented cells, offering insight into the fish's coloration. The fossils revealed F. brocksi had a slender body, similar to modern-day smelts. The fish also presented evidence of countershading, in which the animal was darker on the top and lighter on its stomach, with two stripes running along the length of its body, according to the study. Frese noted that this coloration pattern may indicate a shoaling behavior, in which fish gather in loose social groups. The countershading also likely helped the species evade predators from above, Martin added. While central New South Wales is now characterized by plains and plateaus, during the Miocene, the region was surrounded by lush rainforests, according to the study. The discovery of F. brocksi west of the Great Dividing Range suggests that, unlike most surviving Osmeriformes, this species may have spent its entire life in freshwater, according to the study. 'While this study is focused on one species of fish,' Frese said, 'it is part of a broader ecosystem that we are piecing together by excavating fossils from the site.'
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Fossilized fish up to 16 million years old found in Australia, with last meal still intact
Sign up for CNN's Wonder Theory science newsletter. Explore the universe with news on fascinating discoveries, scientific advancements and more. Paleontologists have discovered a newly identified fish species in Australia so well-preserved that they could determine its last meal — dating back up to 16 million years to the Miocene Epoch. Researchers unearthed the fossilized freshwater fish, named Ferruaspis brocksi, at the McGraths Flat site in central New South Wales, according to a study published March 17 in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. The study team excavated multiple fossils containing F. brocksi, each entombed in goethite, an iron-rich mineral that maintained the fish in extraordinary detail. This rare fossilization process allowed researchers to examine the species' structural features, including its soft tissue, stomach and coloration patterns. 'Every time I have a detailed look at a fossil from McGraths Flat, I am amazed by its detailed preservation,' study coauthor Dr. Michael Frese, associate professor and virologist at the University of Canberra, said via email. 'It's very surprising, (and) it's extremely rare to be able to tell the colour of a fossil fish like this.' Beyond identifying a newfound species, researchers uncovered the first detailed evidence of Osmeriformes, a group that includes modern-day graylings and smelts, in Australia. Until now, scientists could only speculate when smelts first arrived on the continent due to a lack of fossil evidence, but this new finding offers crucial insights into the region's ancient ecosystem, Frese said. Using high-powered microscopes, paleontologists analyzed the stomach contents and intestinal tract of F. brocksi and found the fish primarily fed on various types of phantom midge larvae — an almost transparent insect larvae — along with insect wings and even a small bivalve, or a mollusk with hinged shells. 'Knowing their diet helps us start to paint a picture of food chains and food webs in the original environments,' said Dr. Anthony Martin, a professor of practice in the department of environmental sciences at Emory University in Atlanta, who was not involved in the study. One specimen of fish had a freshwater mussel attached to its tail fin. The finding is rare because the lake sediments where F. brocksi were found wouldn't have supported an environment for the bivalve to reach sexual maturity and produce glochidia — the larval, parasitic stage of some freshwater mussels, Frese said. He added that it's likely the parasites infected the fish in a nearby river, suggesting a connection between the fossil site and a neighboring waterway. The stomach contents not only helped paleontologists identify what the fish were eating but also when they were feeding. 'Many extant species of Chaoborus (phantom midge larvae) do not occur in lakes with fishes, and those that do co-exist with fishes often conduct a diurnal migration to avoid predatory fishes during the daytime,' Frese said. 'As most Chaoborus larvae spent most of the day in the sediment, hiding from pelagic predators, F. brocksi would likely have preyed on Chaoborus at night.' One of the most surprising discoveries was the presence of melanophores or pigmented cells, offering insight into the fish's coloration. The fossils revealed F. brocksi had a slender body, similar to modern-day smelts. The fish also presented evidence of countershading, in which the animal was darker on the top and lighter on its stomach, with two stripes running along the length of its body, according to the study. Frese noted that this coloration pattern may indicate a shoaling behavior, in which fish gather in loose social groups. The countershading also likely helped the species evade predators from above, Martin added. While central New South Wales is now characterized by plains and plateaus, during the Miocene, the region was surrounded by lush rainforests, according to the study. The discovery of F. brocksi west of the Great Dividing Range suggests that, unlike most surviving Osmeriformes, this species may have spent its entire life in freshwater, according to the study. 'While this study is focused on one species of fish,' Frese said, 'it is part of a broader ecosystem that we are piecing together by excavating fossils from the site.'
