Pig-like animal discovered roaming Earth 250 million years ago

Thousands of years ago, just before dinosaurs appeared on Earth, there lived a pig-like creature with tusks known as Gordonia traquairiancient cousin of modern mammals.

For the first time, experts can study the anatomy and evolution of this species in detail after cutting-edge technology scanned the ancient fossil, which was encased in sandstone some 252 to 254 million years ago.

This fascinating exploration of our evolutionary past was undertaken by a team of experts led by the esteemed University of Edinburgh, in collaboration with the North Carolina Museum of Natural Science, the University of Birmingham and the Hunterian Museum.

The Miracle of Elgin

Hady George, an expert in paleontology from the University of Bristol and former student of paleontology and geobiology at the School of GeoSciences, shares his thoughts on this extraordinary discovery.

“The Elgin Marvel is a fascinating fossil of an ancient mammalian relative and is among the best-preserved of Elgin’s world-famous reptiles,” says George.

“Most of these famous fossils were found over a century ago, but only now are new technologies finally allowing us to reveal them in detail and obtain valuable information about the anatomy of the skull and brain, as well as their genealogy.”

The specimen under the scanner, known as the Elgin Marvel, is one of the best-preserved of a series of fossils discovered near Elgin, in north-east Scotland.

Although they are called Elgin reptiles, some of them, including Gordoniathey are more closely related to mammals. Elgin reptiles are the only known example of this type of fossil in Western Europe.

Gordonia traquairi:Unusual mammal

Gordonia traquairi comes from an extinct group of species called dicynodonts, famous for their squat bodies, beaks, and tusks.

Life on Earth looked completely different then Gordoniaa time when all the continents joined together to form one land mass known as Pangea.

Gordonia They lived shortly before the Great Extinction, the worst mass extinction in history, which wiped out most life on our planet about 252 million years ago.

Understanding Dicynodonts

These creatures, whose name means “two dog’s teeth”, were a group of herbivorous therapsids, creatures that have an uncanny resemblance to mammals, but at the same time gracefully tread the line of reptilian characteristics. Their existence dates back to the Permian-Triassic era, a period from 270 to 201 million years ago.

Dicynodonts came in all sizes, some were as small as a domestic dog and others grew as large as a cow. The characteristic feature that distinguished them was the structure of the skull resembling a turtle, with a mouth resembling a beak.

This feature was used as a survival tool for cutting vegetation. Many species also had tusks, tools probably used for digging up food or as a means of defense.

Habitats and diet of dicynodonts

Dicynodonts were highly adaptable. They thrived in a variety of environments, from the arid reaches of deserts to lush forests.

Their diet reflected the richness of nature, as they indulged in mostly plant foods. With their unique jaws and beaks, dicynodonts could efficiently process a wide range of vegetation.

Evolutionary significance

Dicynodonts were the dominant herbivores of their time, a testament to their evolutionary prowess. In a constant display of adaptability, these creatures evolved and thrived in a variety of environments.

This feature is believed to have played a key role in their extensive existence, which lasted for over 100 million years.

Sadly, like all good things, the reign of the dicynodonts came to an end at the end of the Triassic era. Although they died out, their legacy was not forgotten.

As part of the lineage that eventually evolved into modern mammals, they hold the secrets of the transition from reptilian ancestors to our own species.

History behind Gordonia traquairi fossil

This fossil tells a truly global story, sharing many physical characteristics with fossils found in China. This discovery indicates that dicynodonts were expanding their presence around the world just before the Great Extinction.

A specialist team from the University of Edinburgh used micro-computed tomography to create a high-resolution three-dimensional image showing the cavity the animal created in the sandstone before its bones degraded.

This imaging technique allows us to obtain a three-dimensional image of an animal’s skull and look into its brain.

Learning from these details can lead to better understanding Gordoniaprobable behaviors and the biology underlying them, offering invaluable information about the evolution of this and other species.

Seeing the future through the past

“Although it’s hard to imagine, about 250 million years ago Scotland was a dune-covered desert, and ancient cousins ​​of mammals such as Gordonia reigned in this world. By studying them, we can learn about some of the earliest phases of our own evolution,” says Professor Steve Brusatte, professor of paleontology and evolution at the School of GeoSciences.

The growing use of computed tomography combined with the tendency to openly share data provides an opportunity to enrich the scientific discourse on our evolutionary past.

This ever-evolving field continues to transform our understanding of the world we live in today and lead to fascinating new discoveries about where we came from.

Lessons Learned From Gordonia traquairi

To sum up, the scans Gordonia traquairi give us a detailed look at an ancient relative of mammals, revealing new details about its anatomy, evolution and behavior.

This research is a remarkable scientific achievement, as well as a time capsule providing insight into ancient life on Earth, something that continues to deepen our understanding of the world we live in today.

As we uncover more of our prehistoric past, future scans promise to reveal even more secrets from the fossilized remains of life from millions of years ago.

The work done on the Elgin Marvel is proof that new technologies are enabling us to better understand our world’s rich evolutionary history, leading us toward a fuller understanding of the myriad forces that have shaped life as we know it.

The full study was published in the journal Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society.

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