|
. | . |
|
by Brooks Hays Bristol, England (UPI) Aug 14, 2015
New paleontological evidence suggests the coast of South West England once teemed with tropical marine life -- exotic sharks, fish and reptiles. The new insights into the region's ancient fauna come thanks to the analysis of Late Triassic sediments, rich with teeth and other fossil fragments. In studying the teeth, scientists at the University of Bristol identified a variety of marine speces that once thrived in the shallow waters along the Somerset coast, at that time (200 million years ago) a tropical archipelago. Among the species discovered were six bony fish and six species of shark. Analysis also revealed the presence of Pachystropheus rhaeticus, a prehistoric crocodile-like animal, as well as a placodont, an armored barrel-bodied reptile, appearing like a cross between an iguana and turtle. Placodonts feasted mostly on ancient mollusks, their flat teeth well-suited for crushing shells. "We were excited to find teeth from a placodont, which are rare in British sediments," lead researcher Klara Norden said in a press release. "The presence of placodonts indicates that the area was once a coastal environment, with shallow waters and abundant invertebrate prey. Placodonts were in decline in the Late Triassic, and the placodont teeth from Marston Road must come from some of the last of these reptiles to exist on Earth." Also found in the fossil-rich sediments were sphenodontians, small, lizard-like reptiles. The lizard shared the lands of the South West England with Thecodontosaurus, one of the first and oldest dinosaurs found in the region. "It's really unusual to find remains of land-living animals mixed in with the marine fishes and sharks," said Michael Benton, a Bristol professor who supervised Norden's research. "They must have been washed off the land into the shallow sea, and this provides evidence to match the age of the marine and terrestrial deposits in the area." The research was published this week in the journal Proceedings of the Geologists' Association.
Related Links Explore The Early Earth at TerraDaily.com
|
|
The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2014 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. Privacy Statement All images and articles appearing on Space Media Network have been edited or digitally altered in some way. Any requests to remove copyright material will be acted upon in a timely and appropriate manner. Any attempt to extort money from Space Media Network will be ignored and reported to Australian Law Enforcement Agencies as a potential case of financial fraud involving the use of a telephonic carriage device or postal service. |