A Lizard That Lived 150 Million Years Ago Has Been Discovered

Paleontologists have discovered a 150 million-year-old relative of the Tuatara lizard, known today as the only living member of its lineage.

As everyone knows, there were many different species on earth in the ancient times of the world. there was a dinosaur. These gigantic creatures still being discovered today, of course, was not the only species. He finds fossils of the ancestors of many species that are now extinct, as well as of living things that are still alive.

Paleontologists, who are constantly working to discover new species, have recently Jurassic periodHe found the remains of a lizard from The most exciting part of this discovery is that the lizard found is a relative of the Tuatara, also known as the “king of lizards”.

(The Tuatara lizard is also the source of the name for the SSC Tuatara, the most popular supercar ever produced by SSC.)

Like the Tuatara, it can have a 3rd eye

Opisthiamimus gregory This lizard named is exactly the same in carbon tests. 150 million years old. Although this lizard is not as complex as its close relative, the Tuatara, the differences between these two species are 150 million years old, according to paleontologists. reveals a huge evolution.

One of the most important points of the discovery of this lizard is that it can shed light on the entire family family tree. The common family tree of Tuatara and Opisthiamimus gregori dates back hundreds of millions of years. for an unknown reason disappeared and only the Tuatara remained of the whole family. The Tuatara lizard, which belongs to a different species from the lizard we know, is on the top of its head. born with one eye and in the first 4-5 months of its development, this eye is covered with an opaque skin. According to the researchers; The possibility of this review in Opisthiamimus gregori quite high. Likewise, the teeth of both Tuatara and Opisthiamimus gregori are fixed to the jawbone, just like snakes, and can only appear at will.

“They may have been defeated by other lizards”

Matthew Carrano, a member of the team that discovered Opisthiamimus gregori, which belongs to the Rhynchocephalia family, says the following about the almost complete extinction of this species; “The most likely reason for the complete extinction of the Rhynchocephalia lineage is that they by not being able to fight the lizard species we know It may be prey to other predators and disappear by natural selection. If the tuatara for being the strongest member of his lineage It may be the last surviving creature of this species.”, noting that other members of Rhynchocephalia may not be as strong as the Tuatara.

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Paleontologists have yet to reveal some information about this creature, as they have not yet completed their research on Opisthiamimus gregori. However, according to a statement, all the bones of the lizard were separated from the fossil mold without any problems, and transported to the laboratory for analysis.

Source :
https://indianexpress.com/article/technology/science/ancient-jurassic-reptile-opisthiamimus-gregori-8159852/


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