Scientists have uncovered fossils of a giant salamander-like creature with sharp fangs that dominated the waters long before the first dinosaurs emerged. This fearsome predator, larger than a human, likely used its broad, flat head and front teeth to suck in and crush unsuspecting prey. Its skull measured an impressive 2 feet (60 centimeters) in length. “It’s acting like an aggressive stapler,” commented Michael Coates, a biologist at the University of Chicago, who was not involved in the study. The fossil remains of four individuals, collected a decade ago, were analyzed, including a partial skull and backbone. The findings on Gaiasia jennyae were published in the journal Nature on Wednesday. This ancient creature existed around 40 million years before the evolution of dinosaurs. Researchers have long investigated these ancient predators to understand the origins of tetrapods – four-legged animals that transitioned to land with fingers instead of fins, eventually evolving into amphibians, birds, mammals, including humans. Most early tetrapod fossils originate from hot, prehistoric coal swamps along the equator in regions now known as North America and Europe. However, these latest remains, dating back roughly 280 million years ago, were discovered in present-day Namibia, an area in Africa that was once covered in glaciers and ice. This finding implies that tetrapods may have flourished in colder climates earlier than previously thought, raising new questions about their takeover of Earth. “The early story of the first tetrapods is much more complex than we thought,” stated co-author Claudia Marsicano from the University of Buenos Aires, who was part of the research team. The creature’s name pays homage to the Gai-As rock formation in Namibia where the fossils were unearthed and honors the late paleontologist Jennifer Clack, who dedicated her work to studying the evolution of tetrapods.
Giant Salamander-Like Beast Found in Namibia Reveals New Clues About Early Tetrapods
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