November 21, 2024 The sun rises from Anatolia

Remains of trematosaurs from 250 million years ago found in Poland

Polish researchers have found 250 million-year-old remains of Trematosaurs, early Triassic amphibians that resemble modern-day crocodiles.

In a new publication in “Acta Palaeontologica Polonica”, the scientists also describe finds of early Triassic reptiles (procolofons) from the Świętokrzyskie Mountains region.

The research was led by Dr. Tomasz Sulej and Prof. Marcin Machalski from the Institute of Paleobiology of the Polish Academy of Sciences and Dr. Mateusz Tałanda from the Institute of Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw.

The fossils were found in the 1980s in a disused quarry in Stryczowice (Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship) by Marcin Machalski, who identified traces of arthropods from the excavator group preserved on sandstone slabs.

Vertebrate remains from Stryczowice. Archive of the authors of the publication.

After recent research, the previously unidentified vertebrate remains found in Stryczowice turned out to be the parasphenoid bone (from the head) of a trematosaurus and the jaw of a procolofon.

“Although these are small finds, they are of great scientific importance. Previously, we found that trematosaurs were found in what is now Poland (m.in. At the paleontological site at Wióry in Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship, we found a few teeth that might have belonged to them), but only this bone proves to us that this was indeed the case,” he said.

The bone is 5-6 cm long. It was found in a piece of sandstone, a very hard rock. “We have shown that this is the parasphenoid bone of a trematosaurus. They were very unique amphibians, because in their evolution you can see that the skull gradually lengthened and the snout narrowed, which can be observed today, for example, in gharials,” – said the paleobiologist.

Vertebrate remains from Stryczowice. Archive of the authors of the publication.

Fossils of these amphibians are already known from Germany and Russia (and Africa). “But our bone is different from these two examples. Maybe we are dealing with some kind of intermediate form? I hope that further discoveries will provide answers regarding the evolution of these amphibians,” he said.

The researchers also identified a fragment of a jawbone with five preserved teeth belonging to a reptile from the procolofon family. As Tomasz Sulej said, it was a fairly common group of reptiles that resembled small lizards – they had characteristic teeth in the shape of a drop of water.

Fossils of these reptiles are already known in Poland from Czatkowice near Kraków in the m.in. “But finding them in the Świętokrzyskie Mountains proves that prokophons were found in different environments and were diverse,” said Tomasz Sulej.

PAP

Banner
Related Articles

A well-preserved comb was discovered in a unique fourth-century Alemannic chamber tomb in Germany

September 6, 2024

September 6, 2024

A rare Alemannic chamber tomb dating back to the early 4th century has been unearthed during a rescue excavation in...

Sitting Buddha statue incidentally found in a paddy field

May 2, 2024

May 2, 2024

The seated Buddha statue was discovered by chance in a mound excavated in a paddy field where soil for the...

Gold coins from the time of Justinian the Great found in northern Bulgaria

September 5, 2024

September 5, 2024

Five gold coins dating from the reign of Justinian the Great (483-565) have been found in Debnevo, the largest village...

The unique “twin baby stele” that survived from the Ancient Greek

March 25, 2024

March 25, 2024

The National Archaeological Museum of Athens announced that the unique “twin baby stele” from Ancient Greece has gone on display....

Magnet fisherman pulls out a sturdy Viking sword from the River Cherwell

March 10, 2024

March 10, 2024

Magnet fisherman Trevor Penny pulled a intact Viking sword from the River Cherwell in West Oxfordshire last November. Magnet fishing,...

‘4,200-year-old zombie tomb’ discovered in East Germany

April 23, 2024

April 23, 2024

Archaeologists have found the grave of a man believed to be at risk of becoming a “zombie” near Oppin in...

Polish archaeologists find papyri containing letters from Roman centurions in Berenike

May 22, 2024

May 22, 2024

Polish archaeologists have made a surprising discovery while excavating an animal cemetery at Berenike on the Red Sea. In the...

Unique 3500-year-old Bronze Age hoard discovered in northern Bohemia

June 30, 2024

June 30, 2024

A number of bronze artifacts, including pieces of jewelry dating back 3500 years, have been discovered in the town of...

High-status Macedonian tomb discovered during sewage construction

April 3, 2024

April 3, 2024

During the construction of the sewers, workers became the heroes of a great discovery. In the ancient city of Aegae...

Antibiotic bacteria that fight E. coli and other dangerous bacteria found in Roman Baths in England

June 9, 2024

June 9, 2024

Researchers from Plymouth University’s School of Biomedical Sciences have discovered that the popular Roman Baths in the city of Bath...

Archaeologists find rare Tyrian purple lump at Carlisle excavations

May 4, 2024

May 4, 2024

In 2023, archaeologists discovered a rare lump of Tyrian Purple during excavations at a Roman Bath on the grounds of...

Italian archaeologists uncover large Iron Age necropolis at Amorosi

May 5, 2024

May 5, 2024

Italian archaeologists have uncovered a large Iron Age necropolis in Valle Telesina, near the Volturno River, during work on a...

The unique ‘Excalibur’ sword, similar to King Arthur’s legendary sword, has Islamic Origins

April 28, 2024

April 28, 2024

The mysteries of the historical sword, which researchers have dubbed ‘Excalibur’ because of its location and which bears similarities to...

Environmental campaigners in Kazakhstan discover new Bronze Age petroglyphs

May 1, 2024

May 1, 2024

New Bronze Age petroglyphs have been discovered in the Zhambyl region of Kazakhstan by volunteers of the nationwide Taza (Clean)...

Wessex archaeologists discovered a 3,500-year-old wooden paddle

October 23, 2024

October 23, 2024

Archaeologists from Wessex Archaeology discovered a 3,500-year-old wooden paddle during excavation work for the Moors project in Arne. Phil Trim,...

Comments
Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *