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2025-05-15 13:26:00 ·

Watch a Giant Snail Lay an Egg From a Pore in Its Neck in First-Ever Footage Captured in New Zealand

Watch a Giant Snail Lay an Egg From a Pore in Its Neck in First-Ever Footage Captured in New Zealand
Conservation rangers took a video of an endangered, captive snail laying a large egg, revealing insight into the creature’s reproductive process

Rangers witnessed a captive Powelliphanta augusta snail lay an egg from its neck, and they managed to catch it on video for the first time ever.
New Zealand Department of Conservation

A small, white orb emerges from the body of a slimy creature in footage shared by New Zealand’s Department of Conservation. Though this scene might not look like much, it’s an extremely rare moment that scientists just captured on video for the first time: a mysterious Powelliphanta augusta snail laying an egg from a pore in its neck.
The snail is one of New Zealand’s most threatened invertebrates, named for its natural habitat along the Mount Augustus ridgeline in the country’s West Coast. But now, that site has almost entirely been destroyed by mining activity. To protect the snails, the DOC brought a number of them into captivity in 2006, and experts have been tending to the population ever since, keeping them in chilled containers that mimic the creature’s preferred environment.
“It’s remarkable that in all the time we’ve spent caring for the snails, this is the first time we’ve seen one lay an egg,” DOC ranger Lisa Flanagan, who took the video, says in a statement. “We caught the action when we were weighing the snail. We turned it over to be weighed and saw the egg just starting to emerge from the snail.”
Scientists knew very little about Powelliphanta snails before they began caring for the captive population. “This moment gives us a glimpse into the fascinating reproductive lives of these threatened snails,” according to a DOC Facebook post.

Powelliphanta augusta snail laying an egg
Watch on

Powelliphanta are some of the largest snails in the world. They’re carnivorous, dwell on land and feast on worms and slugs. Like many other snails, they’re hermaphrodites, meaning individuals have both male and female genitalia. Powelliphanta snails thrive in moist habitats and are thus mostly found in New Zealand’s high-altitude forests and wetter western regions, where they occasionally emerge from leaf piles at night to mate and search for food.
Many snails lay eggs, though some—like the marine species Littorina saxatilis—birth live baby snails, as reported by Live Science’s Pandora Dewan.
The P. augusta snail, meanwhile, has a genital pore—akin to the vagina in mammals—just below its head. While this might seem like an unusual position, it allows the snail to poke out its head for mating and laying eggs, while the rest of its soft, vulnerable body remains protected by the shell.
“It extends its penis out of this pore and into its mate’s pore, and its mate does the same, simultaneously exchanging sperm,” DOC senior science advisor Kath Walker explains in the statement. Though, as hermaphrodite “carnivores, which have to live at relatively low density, being able to occasionally self-fertilize must help with survival of the species.”
What probably doesn’t help, however, is that P. augusta snails don’t reach sexual maturity until they’re 8 years old. While some of the snails in the DOC’s care are between 25 and 35 years old, they only lay about five eggs per year, which can take more than a year to hatch. That’s in stark contrast with non-native, invasive garden snails in New Zealand, which live short lives but lay thousands of eggs annually, according to the statement.
When P. augusta’s habitat began to be threatened by mining in the early 2000s, the DOC relocated about 4,000 of them to other areas and took another 2,000 into captivity, per the Associated Press’ Charlotte Graham-McLay. It’s been a bumpy ride, however—the snails returned to the spotlight in 2011, when a faulty fridge accidentally froze 800 of them to death.
“Keeping our wildlife in fridges is obviously not how New Zealanders would like to care for native animals found nowhere else in the world,” Nicola Toki, a conservationist who is now CEO of the New Zealand nonprofit Forest & Bird, told the BBC at the time. “It’s a sad fact that this has been the best option for them.”
Nevertheless, the captive program has both saved the species from extinction and allowed scientists to learn more about the mysterious snail, per the DOC’s Facebook post. As reported by the Associated Press, the captive population had risen to 1,900 snails and almost 2,200 eggs by March of this year.

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#watch #giant #snail #lay #egg

Watch a Giant Snail Lay an Egg From a Pore in Its Neck in First-Ever Footage Captured in New Zealand
Watch a Giant Snail Lay an Egg From a Pore in Its Neck in First-Ever Footage Captured in New Zealand Conservation rangers took a video of an endangered, captive snail laying a large egg, revealing insight into the creature’s reproductive process Rangers witnessed a captive Powelliphanta augusta snail lay an egg from its neck, and they managed to catch it on video for the first time ever. New Zealand Department of Conservation A small, white orb emerges from the body of a slimy creature in footage shared by New Zealand’s Department of Conservation. Though this scene might not look like much, it’s an extremely rare moment that scientists just captured on video for the first time: a mysterious Powelliphanta augusta snail laying an egg from a pore in its neck. The snail is one of New Zealand’s most threatened invertebrates, named for its natural habitat along the Mount Augustus ridgeline in the country’s West Coast. But now, that site has almost entirely been destroyed by mining activity. To protect the snails, the DOC brought a number of them into captivity in 2006, and experts have been tending to the population ever since, keeping them in chilled containers that mimic the creature’s preferred environment. “It’s remarkable that in all the time we’ve spent caring for the snails, this is the first time we’ve seen one lay an egg,” DOC ranger Lisa Flanagan, who took the video, says in a statement. “We caught the action when we were weighing the snail. We turned it over to be weighed and saw the egg just starting to emerge from the snail.” Scientists knew very little about Powelliphanta snails before they began caring for the captive population. “This moment gives us a glimpse into the fascinating reproductive lives of these threatened snails,” according to a DOC Facebook post. Powelliphanta augusta snail laying an egg Watch on Powelliphanta are some of the largest snails in the world. They’re carnivorous, dwell on land and feast on worms and slugs. Like many other snails, they’re hermaphrodites, meaning individuals have both male and female genitalia. Powelliphanta snails thrive in moist habitats and are thus mostly found in New Zealand’s high-altitude forests and wetter western regions, where they occasionally emerge from leaf piles at night to mate and search for food. Many snails lay eggs, though some—like the marine species Littorina saxatilis—birth live baby snails, as reported by Live Science’s Pandora Dewan. The P. augusta snail, meanwhile, has a genital pore—akin to the vagina in mammals—just below its head. While this might seem like an unusual position, it allows the snail to poke out its head for mating and laying eggs, while the rest of its soft, vulnerable body remains protected by the shell. “It extends its penis out of this pore and into its mate’s pore, and its mate does the same, simultaneously exchanging sperm,” DOC senior science advisor Kath Walker explains in the statement. Though, as hermaphrodite “carnivores, which have to live at relatively low density, being able to occasionally self-fertilize must help with survival of the species.” What probably doesn’t help, however, is that P. augusta snails don’t reach sexual maturity until they’re 8 years old. While some of the snails in the DOC’s care are between 25 and 35 years old, they only lay about five eggs per year, which can take more than a year to hatch. That’s in stark contrast with non-native, invasive garden snails in New Zealand, which live short lives but lay thousands of eggs annually, according to the statement. When P. augusta’s habitat began to be threatened by mining in the early 2000s, the DOC relocated about 4,000 of them to other areas and took another 2,000 into captivity, per the Associated Press’ Charlotte Graham-McLay. It’s been a bumpy ride, however—the snails returned to the spotlight in 2011, when a faulty fridge accidentally froze 800 of them to death. “Keeping our wildlife in fridges is obviously not how New Zealanders would like to care for native animals found nowhere else in the world,” Nicola Toki, a conservationist who is now CEO of the New Zealand nonprofit Forest & Bird, told the BBC at the time. “It’s a sad fact that this has been the best option for them.” Nevertheless, the captive program has both saved the species from extinction and allowed scientists to learn more about the mysterious snail, per the DOC’s Facebook post. As reported by the Associated Press, the captive population had risen to 1,900 snails and almost 2,200 eggs by March of this year. Get the latest stories in your inbox every weekday. #watch #giant #snail #lay #egg

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Watch a Giant Snail Lay an Egg From a Pore in Its Neck in First-Ever Footage Captured in New Zealand

Watch a Giant Snail Lay an Egg From a Pore in Its Neck in First-Ever Footage Captured in New Zealand Conservation rangers took a video of an endangered, captive snail laying a large egg, revealing insight into the creature’s reproductive process Rangers witnessed a captive Powelliphanta augusta snail lay an egg from its neck, and they managed to catch it on video for the first time ever. New Zealand Department of Conservation A small, white orb emerges from the body of a slimy creature in footage shared by New Zealand’s Department of Conservation (DOC). Though this scene might not look like much, it’s an extremely rare moment that scientists just captured on video for the first time: a mysterious Powelliphanta augusta snail laying an egg from a pore in its neck. The snail is one of New Zealand’s most threatened invertebrates, named for its natural habitat along the Mount Augustus ridgeline in the country’s West Coast. But now, that site has almost entirely been destroyed by mining activity. To protect the snails, the DOC brought a number of them into captivity in 2006, and experts have been tending to the population ever since, keeping them in chilled containers that mimic the creature’s preferred environment. “It’s remarkable that in all the time we’ve spent caring for the snails, this is the first time we’ve seen one lay an egg,” DOC ranger Lisa Flanagan, who took the video, says in a statement. “We caught the action when we were weighing the snail. We turned it over to be weighed and saw the egg just starting to emerge from the snail.” Scientists knew very little about Powelliphanta snails before they began caring for the captive population. “This moment gives us a glimpse into the fascinating reproductive lives of these threatened snails,” according to a DOC Facebook post. Powelliphanta augusta snail laying an egg Watch on Powelliphanta are some of the largest snails in the world. They’re carnivorous, dwell on land and feast on worms and slugs. Like many other snails, they’re hermaphrodites, meaning individuals have both male and female genitalia. Powelliphanta snails thrive in moist habitats and are thus mostly found in New Zealand’s high-altitude forests and wetter western regions, where they occasionally emerge from leaf piles at night to mate and search for food. Many snails lay eggs, though some—like the marine species Littorina saxatilis—birth live baby snails, as reported by Live Science’s Pandora Dewan. The P. augusta snail, meanwhile, has a genital pore—akin to the vagina in mammals—just below its head. While this might seem like an unusual position, it allows the snail to poke out its head for mating and laying eggs, while the rest of its soft, vulnerable body remains protected by the shell. “It extends its penis out of this pore and into its mate’s pore, and its mate does the same, simultaneously exchanging sperm,” DOC senior science advisor Kath Walker explains in the statement. Though, as hermaphrodite “carnivores, which have to live at relatively low density, being able to occasionally self-fertilize must help with survival of the species.” What probably doesn’t help, however, is that P. augusta snails don’t reach sexual maturity until they’re 8 years old. While some of the snails in the DOC’s care are between 25 and 35 years old, they only lay about five eggs per year, which can take more than a year to hatch. That’s in stark contrast with non-native, invasive garden snails in New Zealand, which live short lives but lay thousands of eggs annually, according to the statement. When P. augusta’s habitat began to be threatened by mining in the early 2000s, the DOC relocated about 4,000 of them to other areas and took another 2,000 into captivity, per the Associated Press’ Charlotte Graham-McLay. It’s been a bumpy ride, however—the snails returned to the spotlight in 2011, when a faulty fridge accidentally froze 800 of them to death. “Keeping our wildlife in fridges is obviously not how New Zealanders would like to care for native animals found nowhere else in the world,” Nicola Toki, a conservationist who is now CEO of the New Zealand nonprofit Forest & Bird, told the BBC at the time. “It’s a sad fact that this has been the best option for them.” Nevertheless, the captive program has both saved the species from extinction and allowed scientists to learn more about the mysterious snail, per the DOC’s Facebook post. As reported by the Associated Press, the captive population had risen to 1,900 snails and almost 2,200 eggs by March of this year. Get the latest stories in your inbox every weekday.

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2025-05-14 16:55:18 ·

Amateur paleontologists uncover earliest known ‘reptile’ footprints

An illustration of what the Amniotewould look like from 350 million years ago. CREDIT: Martin Ambrozik.

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One of the most impactful stories in evolution is getting a rewrite, thanks to the exciting discovery of the earliest known set of reptile footprints. Craig A. Eury and John Eason, two amateur paleontologists exploring the fossil-rich Snowy Plains Formation in Australia, found a rock with an intriguing set of fossilized prints. They brought the intriguing specimen to professional paleontologists, who soon discovered that the roughly 356 million-year-old fossilized claw prints likely belong to an amniote–an early reptile relative.
Though small in stature, amniotes were a large evolutionary leap forward towards land-dwelling, four-limbed animals called tetrapods. The age of these prints suggest that amniotes evolved millions of years earlier than expected, according to a study published May 14 in the journal Nature.
“I’m stunned,” Per Ahlberg, a paleontologist at Uppsala University in Sweden who coordinated the study, said in a statement. “A single track-bearing slab, which one person can lift, calls into question everything we thought we knew about when modern tetrapods evolved.”

When fish grew legs
Tetrapods include all vertebrates with four limbs that primarily live on land, including everything from frogs to turtles to eagles, to tigers to humans. Their story began as fish left the water between 390 and 360 million years ago. Their descendants began to diversify into the ancestors of modern amphibians and amniotes–the group that includes birds, reptiles, and mammals.
Originally, the timeline for how this massive diversification of life occurred was fairly clear-cut. The first tetrapods evolved roughly 390 million years ago during the Devonian period.
Amniotoes and the earliest members of the modern groups of animals we see today followed fishapods during the Carboniferous period. Previously, the earliest amniote fossils dated back to about 320 million years old to the late Carboniferous. Based on this new evidence, researchers concluded the start of the point on the evolutionary tree where the ancestors of amphibians and amniotes split actually happened in the earliest days of the Carboniferous or 356 million years ago.
Proof in the prints
The newly discovered 356 million-year-old sandstone slab from this new study potentially changes this entire timeline by about 35 to 40 million years. The well-preserved footprints of long-toed feet with distinct claw impressions at the tips dot the stone and are the earliest known clawed footprints. Two sets of tracks were identified on the stone, seemingly from the same animal.
Footprints are important for paleontologists, as they can indicate the types of behaviors an extinct animal may have exhibited. The team compared the ancient tracks with a modern water monitorlizard, since they have similarly shaped feet to what is seen on the footprints. They examined the spacing between the front and hind footprints against that living lizard’s feet. With these measurements, the team estimates that the ancient amniote may have been around 2.5 feet long, but that the exact proportions of the animal are still unknown.

“Claws are present in all early amniotes, but almost never in other groups of tetrapods,” Ahlberg said. “The combination of the claw scratches and the shape of the feet suggests that the track maker was a primitive reptile.”
If this new interpretation is correct, it pushes the origin of reptiles, and thus amniotes as a whole, back by roughly 40 million years to the earliest Carboniferous. A new set of fossil reptile footprints uncovered all the way across the globe in Poland are also detailed in the study and bolster the evidence. These European footprints are not as old as the ones from Australia, but are still older than previous specimens.
“The implications of this discovery for the early evolution of tetrapods are profound,” John Long, a study co-author and paleontologist at Flinders University in Australia, said. “All stem-tetrapod and stem-amniote lineages must have originated during the Devonian period – but tetrapod evolution proceeded much faster, and the Devonian tetrapod record is much less complete than we have believed.”
A place on the evolutionary tree
According to the team, this recalibration of the origin of reptiles has a ripple effect on the whole timeline of tetrapod evolution. Tetrapods must be older than even the earliest amniotes, since it has a deeper branching point on the evolutionary tree.
“It’s all about the relative length of different branches in the tree,” said Ahlberg. “In a family tree based on DNA data from living animals, branches will have different lengths reflecting the number of genetic changes along each branch segment. This does not depend on fossils, so it’s really helpful for studying phases of evolution with a poor fossil record.”
The fossil trackways with the different tracks on it highlighted. CREDIT: Flinders University
The team believes that amphibians and ammonites split apart further into the Devonian period and were likely a contemporary of the primitive, transitional “fishapod” called Tiktaalik. This evidence indicates that a diverse group of tetrapods existed when only transitional “fishapods” were believed to be dragging themselves around muddy shorelines and starting to explore the land.
If this new theory holds, it is likely that the evolution of tetrapods from aquatic creatures to those fully living on land may have occurred even faster than previously believed.
“The Australian footprint slab is about 50 cmacross,” said Ahlberg, “and at present it represents the entire fossil record of tetrapods from the earliest Carboniferous of Gondwana – a gigantic supercontinent comprising Africa, South America, Antarctica, Australia and India. Who knows what else lived there?”
“The most interesting discoveries are yet to come and that there is still much to be found in the field,” added study co-author and paleontologist Grzegorz Niedźwiedzki. “These footprints from Australia are just one example of this.”
#amateur #paleontologists #uncover #earliest #known

Amateur paleontologists uncover earliest known ‘reptile’ footprints
An illustration of what the Amniotewould look like from 350 million years ago. CREDIT: Martin Ambrozik. Get the Popular Science daily newsletter💡 Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent every weekday. One of the most impactful stories in evolution is getting a rewrite, thanks to the exciting discovery of the earliest known set of reptile footprints. Craig A. Eury and John Eason, two amateur paleontologists exploring the fossil-rich Snowy Plains Formation in Australia, found a rock with an intriguing set of fossilized prints. They brought the intriguing specimen to professional paleontologists, who soon discovered that the roughly 356 million-year-old fossilized claw prints likely belong to an amniote–an early reptile relative. Though small in stature, amniotes were a large evolutionary leap forward towards land-dwelling, four-limbed animals called tetrapods. The age of these prints suggest that amniotes evolved millions of years earlier than expected, according to a study published May 14 in the journal Nature. “I’m stunned,” Per Ahlberg, a paleontologist at Uppsala University in Sweden who coordinated the study, said in a statement. “A single track-bearing slab, which one person can lift, calls into question everything we thought we knew about when modern tetrapods evolved.” When fish grew legs Tetrapods include all vertebrates with four limbs that primarily live on land, including everything from frogs to turtles to eagles, to tigers to humans. Their story began as fish left the water between 390 and 360 million years ago. Their descendants began to diversify into the ancestors of modern amphibians and amniotes–the group that includes birds, reptiles, and mammals. Originally, the timeline for how this massive diversification of life occurred was fairly clear-cut. The first tetrapods evolved roughly 390 million years ago during the Devonian period. Amniotoes and the earliest members of the modern groups of animals we see today followed fishapods during the Carboniferous period. Previously, the earliest amniote fossils dated back to about 320 million years old to the late Carboniferous. Based on this new evidence, researchers concluded the start of the point on the evolutionary tree where the ancestors of amphibians and amniotes split actually happened in the earliest days of the Carboniferous or 356 million years ago.   Proof in the prints The newly discovered 356 million-year-old sandstone slab from this new study potentially changes this entire timeline by about 35 to 40 million years. The well-preserved footprints of long-toed feet with distinct claw impressions at the tips dot the stone and are the earliest known clawed footprints. Two sets of tracks were identified on the stone, seemingly from the same animal. Footprints are important for paleontologists, as they can indicate the types of behaviors an extinct animal may have exhibited. The team compared the ancient tracks with a modern water monitorlizard, since they have similarly shaped feet to what is seen on the footprints. They examined the spacing between the front and hind footprints against that living lizard’s feet. With these measurements, the team estimates that the ancient amniote may have been around 2.5 feet long, but that the exact proportions of the animal are still unknown. “Claws are present in all early amniotes, but almost never in other groups of tetrapods,” Ahlberg said. “The combination of the claw scratches and the shape of the feet suggests that the track maker was a primitive reptile.” If this new interpretation is correct, it pushes the origin of reptiles, and thus amniotes as a whole, back by roughly 40 million years to the earliest Carboniferous. A new set of fossil reptile footprints uncovered all the way across the globe in Poland are also detailed in the study and bolster the evidence. These European footprints are not as old as the ones from Australia, but are still older than previous specimens. “The implications of this discovery for the early evolution of tetrapods are profound,” John Long, a study co-author and paleontologist at Flinders University in Australia, said. “All stem-tetrapod and stem-amniote lineages must have originated during the Devonian period – but tetrapod evolution proceeded much faster, and the Devonian tetrapod record is much less complete than we have believed.” A place on the evolutionary tree According to the team, this recalibration of the origin of reptiles has a ripple effect on the whole timeline of tetrapod evolution. Tetrapods must be older than even the earliest amniotes, since it has a deeper branching point on the evolutionary tree. “It’s all about the relative length of different branches in the tree,” said Ahlberg. “In a family tree based on DNA data from living animals, branches will have different lengths reflecting the number of genetic changes along each branch segment. This does not depend on fossils, so it’s really helpful for studying phases of evolution with a poor fossil record.” The fossil trackways with the different tracks on it highlighted. CREDIT: Flinders University The team believes that amphibians and ammonites split apart further into the Devonian period and were likely a contemporary of the primitive, transitional “fishapod” called Tiktaalik. This evidence indicates that a diverse group of tetrapods existed when only transitional “fishapods” were believed to be dragging themselves around muddy shorelines and starting to explore the land. If this new theory holds, it is likely that the evolution of tetrapods from aquatic creatures to those fully living on land may have occurred even faster than previously believed.   “The Australian footprint slab is about 50 cmacross,” said Ahlberg, “and at present it represents the entire fossil record of tetrapods from the earliest Carboniferous of Gondwana – a gigantic supercontinent comprising Africa, South America, Antarctica, Australia and India. Who knows what else lived there?”   “The most interesting discoveries are yet to come and that there is still much to be found in the field,” added study co-author and paleontologist Grzegorz Niedźwiedzki. “These footprints from Australia are just one example of this.” #amateur #paleontologists #uncover #earliest #known

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Amateur paleontologists uncover earliest known ‘reptile’ footprints

An illustration of what the Amniote (early reptile) would look like from 350 million years ago. CREDIT: Martin Ambrozik. Get the Popular Science daily newsletter💡 Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent every weekday. One of the most impactful stories in evolution is getting a rewrite, thanks to the exciting discovery of the earliest known set of reptile footprints. Craig A. Eury and John Eason, two amateur paleontologists exploring the fossil-rich Snowy Plains Formation in Australia, found a rock with an intriguing set of fossilized prints. They brought the intriguing specimen to professional paleontologists, who soon discovered that the roughly 356 million-year-old fossilized claw prints likely belong to an amniote–an early reptile relative. Though small in stature, amniotes were a large evolutionary leap forward towards land-dwelling, four-limbed animals called tetrapods. The age of these prints suggest that amniotes evolved millions of years earlier than expected, according to a study published May 14 in the journal Nature. “I’m stunned,” Per Ahlberg, a paleontologist at Uppsala University in Sweden who coordinated the study, said in a statement. “A single track-bearing slab, which one person can lift, calls into question everything we thought we knew about when modern tetrapods evolved.” When fish grew legs Tetrapods include all vertebrates with four limbs that primarily live on land, including everything from frogs to turtles to eagles, to tigers to humans. Their story began as fish left the water between 390 and 360 million years ago. Their descendants began to diversify into the ancestors of modern amphibians and amniotes–the group that includes birds, reptiles, and mammals. Originally, the timeline for how this massive diversification of life occurred was fairly clear-cut. The first tetrapods evolved roughly 390 million years ago during the Devonian period. Amniotoes and the earliest members of the modern groups of animals we see today followed fishapods during the Carboniferous period. Previously, the earliest amniote fossils dated back to about 320 million years old to the late Carboniferous. Based on this new evidence, researchers concluded the start of the point on the evolutionary tree where the ancestors of amphibians and amniotes split actually happened in the earliest days of the Carboniferous or 356 million years ago.   Proof in the prints The newly discovered 356 million-year-old sandstone slab from this new study potentially changes this entire timeline by about 35 to 40 million years. The well-preserved footprints of long-toed feet with distinct claw impressions at the tips dot the stone and are the earliest known clawed footprints. Two sets of tracks were identified on the stone, seemingly from the same animal. Footprints are important for paleontologists, as they can indicate the types of behaviors an extinct animal may have exhibited. The team compared the ancient tracks with a modern water monitor (Varanus salvator) lizard, since they have similarly shaped feet to what is seen on the footprints. They examined the spacing between the front and hind footprints against that living lizard’s feet. With these measurements, the team estimates that the ancient amniote may have been around 2.5 feet long, but that the exact proportions of the animal are still unknown. “Claws are present in all early amniotes, but almost never in other groups of tetrapods,” Ahlberg said. “The combination of the claw scratches and the shape of the feet suggests that the track maker was a primitive reptile.” If this new interpretation is correct, it pushes the origin of reptiles, and thus amniotes as a whole, back by roughly 40 million years to the earliest Carboniferous. A new set of fossil reptile footprints uncovered all the way across the globe in Poland are also detailed in the study and bolster the evidence. These European footprints are not as old as the ones from Australia, but are still older than previous specimens. “The implications of this discovery for the early evolution of tetrapods are profound,” John Long, a study co-author and paleontologist at Flinders University in Australia, said. “All stem-tetrapod and stem-amniote lineages must have originated during the Devonian period – but tetrapod evolution proceeded much faster, and the Devonian tetrapod record is much less complete than we have believed.” A place on the evolutionary tree According to the team, this recalibration of the origin of reptiles has a ripple effect on the whole timeline of tetrapod evolution. Tetrapods must be older than even the earliest amniotes, since it has a deeper branching point on the evolutionary tree. “It’s all about the relative length of different branches in the tree,” said Ahlberg. “In a family tree based on DNA data from living animals, branches will have different lengths reflecting the number of genetic changes along each branch segment. This does not depend on fossils, so it’s really helpful for studying phases of evolution with a poor fossil record.” The fossil trackways with the different tracks on it highlighted. CREDIT: Flinders University The team believes that amphibians and ammonites split apart further into the Devonian period and were likely a contemporary of the primitive, transitional “fishapod” called Tiktaalik. This evidence indicates that a diverse group of tetrapods existed when only transitional “fishapods” were believed to be dragging themselves around muddy shorelines and starting to explore the land. If this new theory holds, it is likely that the evolution of tetrapods from aquatic creatures to those fully living on land may have occurred even faster than previously believed.   “The Australian footprint slab is about 50 cm [1.5 feet] across,” said Ahlberg, “and at present it represents the entire fossil record of tetrapods from the earliest Carboniferous of Gondwana – a gigantic supercontinent comprising Africa, South America, Antarctica, Australia and India. Who knows what else lived there?”   “The most interesting discoveries are yet to come and that there is still much to be found in the field,” added study co-author and paleontologist Grzegorz Niedźwiedzki. “These footprints from Australia are just one example of this.”

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2025-05-14 04:24:43 ·

Feeding Flamingos Create Underwater Tornado-Like Vortices to Capture Their Prey, Study Finds

Feeding Flamingos Create Underwater Tornado-Like Vortices to Capture Their Prey, Study Finds
Rather than passively filter-feeding, the birds use their heads, beaks and feet to generate motion in the water that funnels invertebrates into their mouths

A new study reveals how Chilean flamingos are so adept at finding food.
Victor Ortega Jiménez / UC Berkeley
Flamingos have a natural ability to filter out food, like shrimp and worms, from the surrounding water, even in the most food-poor environments.
Now, a new study published Monday in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reveals how the birds use the power of physics to nab their elusive prey.
Victor Ortega Jiménez, an integrative biologist at the University of California, Berkeley, and lead author of the study, first became interested in flamingos’ eating behavior after a visit to Zoo Atlanta in 2019.
The pink birds stomped their feet and submerged their beaks, but from the surface, he saw only ripples.
The researcher wanted to know what was happening underwater.
“We don’t know anything about what is happening inside,” he says in a statement.
“That was my question.”
Flamingo model tornado vortex
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So, Ortega Jiménez and his team took a closer look with the help of three Chilean flamingos at the Nashville Zoo.
They trained the animals to feed from a water-filled tray over several weeks and used high-speed cameras and lasers to monitor the process.
Then, the researchers created 3D printed models of the birds’ heads, feet and bills to more closely study how they make the water and particles move.
The final step of the work involved attaching a real flamingo beak to a machine that snaps it open and shut, with a small pump to simulate the bird’s tongue.
The researchers found that the flamingos use the motion of water to their advantage, combining techniques to funnel water—and the invertebrates within it—to their mouths.
They’ll stomp their feet in dance-like motions to bring food up to the surface.
Then, they’ll quickly bob their heads up and down to create tornado-like underwater vortices that help catch their prey more efficiently.
The birds also snap or “chatter” their beaks and move their tongues in and out—and that chattering allows flamingos to capture seven times more brine shrimp.
“We are challenging the idea that flamingos are just passive filter feeders,” says Ortega Jiménez to Rachel Nuwer at the New York Times.
“Just as spiders produce webs, flamingos produce vortices.”
Tornado flamingo chattering
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The team calculated just how quickly the flamingos chattered their beaks and bobbed their heads.
To create a tornado-like vortex, a bird would retract its head in a short burst of speed at nearly 16 inches per second.
The chattering motion involved the lower beak snapping about 12 times per second.
The study is “an outstanding demonstration of how biological form and motion can control the surrounding fluid to serve a functional role,” adds Sunghwan Jung, a biophysicist at Cornell University who was not involved in the study, to the New York Times.
Flamingo brine filtering foot
Watch on
Flamingos’ feeding prowess can even benefit other birds: A 2018 study found that Wilson’s phalaropes can double their food intake by following behind a stomping flamingo.
Next, Ortega Jiménez wants to study what goes on inside flamingos’ beaks during feeding, in hopes that it can inspire new technologies that harness the strength of vortices to capture toxic algae or microplastics from water.
“These behaviors that look kind of silly are generating these really useful water flows,” Elizabeth Brainerd, a functional morphologist at Brown University who was not involved with the study, told Elizabeth Pennisi at Science when the work was presented at a conference in 2023.
“That’s unexpected … and quite elegant.”
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Source: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/feeding-flamingos-create-underwater-tornado-like-vortices-to-capture-their-prey-study-finds-180986614/" style="color: #0066cc;">https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/feeding-flamingos-create-underwater-tornado-like-vortices-to-capture-their-prey-study-finds-180986614/
#feeding #flamingos #create #underwater #tornadolike #vortices #capture #their #prey #study #finds

Feeding Flamingos Create Underwater Tornado-Like Vortices to Capture Their Prey, Study Finds
Feeding Flamingos Create Underwater Tornado-Like Vortices to Capture Their Prey, Study Finds Rather than passively filter-feeding, the birds use their heads, beaks and feet to generate motion in the water that funnels invertebrates into their mouths A new study reveals how Chilean flamingos are so adept at finding food. Victor Ortega Jiménez / UC Berkeley Flamingos have a natural ability to filter out food, like shrimp and worms, from the surrounding water, even in the most food-poor environments. Now, a new study published Monday in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reveals how the birds use the power of physics to nab their elusive prey. Victor Ortega Jiménez, an integrative biologist at the University of California, Berkeley, and lead author of the study, first became interested in flamingos’ eating behavior after a visit to Zoo Atlanta in 2019. The pink birds stomped their feet and submerged their beaks, but from the surface, he saw only ripples. The researcher wanted to know what was happening underwater. “We don’t know anything about what is happening inside,” he says in a statement. “That was my question.” Flamingo model tornado vortex Watch on So, Ortega Jiménez and his team took a closer look with the help of three Chilean flamingos at the Nashville Zoo. They trained the animals to feed from a water-filled tray over several weeks and used high-speed cameras and lasers to monitor the process. Then, the researchers created 3D printed models of the birds’ heads, feet and bills to more closely study how they make the water and particles move. The final step of the work involved attaching a real flamingo beak to a machine that snaps it open and shut, with a small pump to simulate the bird’s tongue. The researchers found that the flamingos use the motion of water to their advantage, combining techniques to funnel water—and the invertebrates within it—to their mouths. They’ll stomp their feet in dance-like motions to bring food up to the surface. Then, they’ll quickly bob their heads up and down to create tornado-like underwater vortices that help catch their prey more efficiently. The birds also snap or “chatter” their beaks and move their tongues in and out—and that chattering allows flamingos to capture seven times more brine shrimp. “We are challenging the idea that flamingos are just passive filter feeders,” says Ortega Jiménez to Rachel Nuwer at the New York Times. “Just as spiders produce webs, flamingos produce vortices.” Tornado flamingo chattering Watch on The team calculated just how quickly the flamingos chattered their beaks and bobbed their heads. To create a tornado-like vortex, a bird would retract its head in a short burst of speed at nearly 16 inches per second. The chattering motion involved the lower beak snapping about 12 times per second. The study is “an outstanding demonstration of how biological form and motion can control the surrounding fluid to serve a functional role,” adds Sunghwan Jung, a biophysicist at Cornell University who was not involved in the study, to the New York Times. Flamingo brine filtering foot Watch on Flamingos’ feeding prowess can even benefit other birds: A 2018 study found that Wilson’s phalaropes can double their food intake by following behind a stomping flamingo. Next, Ortega Jiménez wants to study what goes on inside flamingos’ beaks during feeding, in hopes that it can inspire new technologies that harness the strength of vortices to capture toxic algae or microplastics from water. “These behaviors that look kind of silly are generating these really useful water flows,” Elizabeth Brainerd, a functional morphologist at Brown University who was not involved with the study, told Elizabeth Pennisi at Science when the work was presented at a conference in 2023. “That’s unexpected … and quite elegant.” Get the latest stories in your inbox every weekday. Source: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/feeding-flamingos-create-underwater-tornado-like-vortices-to-capture-their-prey-study-finds-180986614/ #feeding #flamingos #create #underwater #tornadolike #vortices #capture #their #prey #study #finds

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Feeding Flamingos Create Underwater Tornado-Like Vortices to Capture Their Prey, Study Finds

Feeding Flamingos Create Underwater Tornado-Like Vortices to Capture Their Prey, Study Finds Rather than passively filter-feeding, the birds use their heads, beaks and feet to generate motion in the water that funnels invertebrates into their mouths A new study reveals how Chilean flamingos are so adept at finding food. Victor Ortega Jiménez / UC Berkeley Flamingos have a natural ability to filter out food, like shrimp and worms, from the surrounding water, even in the most food-poor environments. Now, a new study published Monday in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reveals how the birds use the power of physics to nab their elusive prey. Victor Ortega Jiménez, an integrative biologist at the University of California, Berkeley, and lead author of the study, first became interested in flamingos’ eating behavior after a visit to Zoo Atlanta in 2019. The pink birds stomped their feet and submerged their beaks, but from the surface, he saw only ripples. The researcher wanted to know what was happening underwater. “We don’t know anything about what is happening inside,” he says in a statement. “That was my question.” Flamingo model tornado vortex Watch on So, Ortega Jiménez and his team took a closer look with the help of three Chilean flamingos at the Nashville Zoo. They trained the animals to feed from a water-filled tray over several weeks and used high-speed cameras and lasers to monitor the process. Then, the researchers created 3D printed models of the birds’ heads, feet and bills to more closely study how they make the water and particles move. The final step of the work involved attaching a real flamingo beak to a machine that snaps it open and shut, with a small pump to simulate the bird’s tongue. The researchers found that the flamingos use the motion of water to their advantage, combining techniques to funnel water—and the invertebrates within it—to their mouths. They’ll stomp their feet in dance-like motions to bring food up to the surface. Then, they’ll quickly bob their heads up and down to create tornado-like underwater vortices that help catch their prey more efficiently. The birds also snap or “chatter” their beaks and move their tongues in and out—and that chattering allows flamingos to capture seven times more brine shrimp. “We are challenging the idea that flamingos are just passive filter feeders,” says Ortega Jiménez to Rachel Nuwer at the New York Times. “Just as spiders produce webs, flamingos produce vortices.” Tornado flamingo chattering Watch on The team calculated just how quickly the flamingos chattered their beaks and bobbed their heads. To create a tornado-like vortex, a bird would retract its head in a short burst of speed at nearly 16 inches per second. The chattering motion involved the lower beak snapping about 12 times per second. The study is “an outstanding demonstration of how biological form and motion can control the surrounding fluid to serve a functional role,” adds Sunghwan Jung, a biophysicist at Cornell University who was not involved in the study, to the New York Times. Flamingo brine filtering foot Watch on Flamingos’ feeding prowess can even benefit other birds: A 2018 study found that Wilson’s phalaropes can double their food intake by following behind a stomping flamingo. Next, Ortega Jiménez wants to study what goes on inside flamingos’ beaks during feeding, in hopes that it can inspire new technologies that harness the strength of vortices to capture toxic algae or microplastics from water. “These behaviors that look kind of silly are generating these really useful water flows,” Elizabeth Brainerd, a functional morphologist at Brown University who was not involved with the study, told Elizabeth Pennisi at Science when the work was presented at a conference in 2023. “That’s unexpected … and quite elegant.” Get the latest stories in your inbox every weekday.

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2025-05-13 23:21:16 ·

Strange New Worm Found Off Spain’s Coast Can Shrinks to One-Fifth Its Size
Recently found accordion worm Pararosa vigarae, a new genus and species of ribbon worms and a comparatively less-known group of invertebrates, has amazed the researchers because of its unique ability to squash up like an accordion to a staggering one-fifth of its normal body length.
It was discovered from Ría de Arosa in the Northwest coast of Spain, where it lurks under rocks in the subtidal zone at a depth of 30 metres (98 feet).
Combining morphological data with DNA analysis techniques, researchers were able to overcome the taxonomical challenge of identifying this worm.Classification challengesAccording to the study published in Royal Society Open Science, accordion worms belong to the phylum Nemertea, a group of predatory worms that use venom to immobilize their prey.
They pose serious challenges for taxonomical studies due to the scarcity of external morphological features.Taxonomy is the study of the classification and identification of the living world.
Traditionally, external morphological features are considered the criteria of this study.
However, Nemerteans have very few distinctive visible features to rely on.
To overcome this, scientists tried to consider the internal anatomy as a potential marker, but this process turned out to be very complex and inconvenient.
Eventually, this process became obsolete, resulting in Nemerteans remaining a lesser-known phylum with currently described 1,350 species.Genetic AnalysisThe study describes that molecular phylogenetic analyses were performed based on partial sequences of 16S rRNA, 18S rRNA, 28S rRNA, cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI), and histone H3 gene markers that indicated the newly identified specimens represent a new genus and species of heteronemertean in the family Lineidae.Imaging experiments revealed that the accordion worm contracts its body to form regular rings that are annular epidermal constrictions that remain visible even when the animal is fully stretched.
The number of rings varies with the size of the worm—for instance, the largest specimen collected had 60 rings when fully stretched.

Source: https://www.gadgets360.com/science/news/accordion-worm-pararosa-vigarae-from-spain-shrinks-to-one-fifth-its-size-8371968#rss-gadgets-news" style="color: #0066cc;">https://www.gadgets360.com/science/news/accordion-worm-pararosa-vigarae-from-spain-shrinks-to-one-fifth-its-size-8371968#rss-gadgets-news
#strange #new #worm #found #off #spains #coast #can #shrinks #onefifth #its #size

Strange New Worm Found Off Spain’s Coast Can Shrinks to One-Fifth Its Size
Recently found accordion worm Pararosa vigarae, a new genus and species of ribbon worms and a comparatively less-known group of invertebrates, has amazed the researchers because of its unique ability to squash up like an accordion to a staggering one-fifth of its normal body length. It was discovered from Ría de Arosa in the Northwest coast of Spain, where it lurks under rocks in the subtidal zone at a depth of 30 metres (98 feet). Combining morphological data with DNA analysis techniques, researchers were able to overcome the taxonomical challenge of identifying this worm.Classification challengesAccording to the study published in Royal Society Open Science, accordion worms belong to the phylum Nemertea, a group of predatory worms that use venom to immobilize their prey. They pose serious challenges for taxonomical studies due to the scarcity of external morphological features.Taxonomy is the study of the classification and identification of the living world. Traditionally, external morphological features are considered the criteria of this study. However, Nemerteans have very few distinctive visible features to rely on. To overcome this, scientists tried to consider the internal anatomy as a potential marker, but this process turned out to be very complex and inconvenient. Eventually, this process became obsolete, resulting in Nemerteans remaining a lesser-known phylum with currently described 1,350 species.Genetic AnalysisThe study describes that molecular phylogenetic analyses were performed based on partial sequences of 16S rRNA, 18S rRNA, 28S rRNA, cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI), and histone H3 gene markers that indicated the newly identified specimens represent a new genus and species of heteronemertean in the family Lineidae.Imaging experiments revealed that the accordion worm contracts its body to form regular rings that are annular epidermal constrictions that remain visible even when the animal is fully stretched. The number of rings varies with the size of the worm—for instance, the largest specimen collected had 60 rings when fully stretched. Source: https://www.gadgets360.com/science/news/accordion-worm-pararosa-vigarae-from-spain-shrinks-to-one-fifth-its-size-8371968#rss-gadgets-news #strange #new #worm #found #off #spains #coast #can #shrinks #onefifth #its #size

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Strange New Worm Found Off Spain’s Coast Can Shrinks to One-Fifth Its Size

Recently found accordion worm Pararosa vigarae, a new genus and species of ribbon worms and a comparatively less-known group of invertebrates, has amazed the researchers because of its unique ability to squash up like an accordion to a staggering one-fifth of its normal body length. It was discovered from Ría de Arosa in the Northwest coast of Spain, where it lurks under rocks in the subtidal zone at a depth of 30 metres (98 feet). Combining morphological data with DNA analysis techniques, researchers were able to overcome the taxonomical challenge of identifying this worm.Classification challengesAccording to the study published in Royal Society Open Science, accordion worms belong to the phylum Nemertea, a group of predatory worms that use venom to immobilize their prey. They pose serious challenges for taxonomical studies due to the scarcity of external morphological features.Taxonomy is the study of the classification and identification of the living world. Traditionally, external morphological features are considered the criteria of this study. However, Nemerteans have very few distinctive visible features to rely on. To overcome this, scientists tried to consider the internal anatomy as a potential marker, but this process turned out to be very complex and inconvenient. Eventually, this process became obsolete, resulting in Nemerteans remaining a lesser-known phylum with currently described 1,350 species.Genetic AnalysisThe study describes that molecular phylogenetic analyses were performed based on partial sequences of 16S rRNA, 18S rRNA, 28S rRNA, cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI), and histone H3 gene markers that indicated the newly identified specimens represent a new genus and species of heteronemertean in the family Lineidae.Imaging experiments revealed that the accordion worm contracts its body to form regular rings that are annular epidermal constrictions that remain visible even when the animal is fully stretched. The number of rings varies with the size of the worm—for instance, the largest specimen collected had 60 rings when fully stretched.

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2025-05-13 14:55:01 ·

#333;">First Ever Pregnant Ichthyosaur from the Early Cretaceous Reveals Life in Prehistoric Seas
During an excavation, amidst the Patagonian winds and hard rock, a fossil began to turn green.
It was an unexpected reaction: the adhesive applied to protect the bones, fragile after millions of years beneath the ice, had interacted with plant matter trapped in the rock’s cracks.
This greenish hue earned the fossil the nickname Fiona, like the ogre from Shrek.But Fionais much more than a ogre-themed name.
It is the first complete ichthyosaur ever excavated in Chile and, even more remarkably, the only known pregnant female from the Hauterivian — a stage of the Early Cretaceous dating back 131 million years.
Her skeleton, discovered at the edge of the Tyndall Glacier in Torres del Paine National Park — an area increasingly exposed by glacial retreat — belongs to the species Myobradypterygius hauthali, originally described in Argentina from fragmentary remains.The discovery, led by Judith Pardo-Pérez, a researcher at the University of Magallanes and the Cabo de Hornos International Center (CHIC), and published in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, offers an unprecedented glimpse into ancient marine life — from how these majestic reptiles reproduced to how they adapted to oceans vastly different from those of today.An Ichthyosaur Maternity Ward in Patagonia(Image Courtesy of Irene Viscor)So far, 88 ichthyosaurs have been found on the Tyndall Glacier.
Most of them are adults and newborns.
Two key facts stand out: food was abundant, and no other predators were competing with them.Fiona, who measures nearly 13 feet long, is still encased in five blocks of rock.
Despite the challenge, she was transported to a local clinic, where CT scans allowed researchers to study her skull and body.
Her species was identified thanks to one of her fins.
“There’s no other like it in the world,” says Pardo-Pérez.
The limbs were remarkably elongated, suggesting this animal was built for long-distance swimming.Inside her, there were more surprises.
One of them was her stomach contents, which revealed what may have been her last meal: tiny fish vertebrae.
But the most striking find was a fetus, about 20 inches long, already in a position to be born.“We believe these animals came to Magallanes — the southern tip of Chilean Patagonia — from time to time to give birth, because it was a safe refuge,” Pardo-Pérez says.
“We don't know how long they stayed, but we do know that mortality was high during the first few days of life.”One of the big unanswered questions is where they went next, as there are no records of Myobradypterygius hauthali, apart from a piece of fin found in Argentina.
The most abundant remains come from southern Germany, but those date back to the Jurassic period, meaning they’re older.Palaeontologist Erin Maxwell suggests, “In many modern ecosystems, species migrate to higher latitudes during the summer to take advantage of seasonally abundant resources and then move to lower latitudes in winter to avoid harsh conditions,” she explains.
“We believe Mesozoic marine reptiles may have followed similar seasonal patterns.”Sea Dragon GraveyardThe environment where Fiona was discovered — dubbed the "sea dragon graveyard" — also has much to reveal.According to geologist Matthew Malkowski of the University of Texas at Austin, the Hauterivian age is particularly intriguing because it coincided with major planetary changes: the breakup of continents, intense volcanic episodes, and phenomena known as "oceanic anoxic events," during which vast areas of the ocean were depleted of dissolved oxygen for hundreds of thousands of years.One such poorly understood event, the Pharaonic Anoxic Event, occurred around 131 million years ago, near the end of the Hauterivian, and still raises questions about its true impact on marine life.
“We don't have a firm grasp of how significant these events were for marine vertebrates, and geological records like that of the Tyndall Glacier allow us to explore the relationship between life, the environment, and Earth’s past conditions,” Malkowski notes.Evolution of IchthyosaursReconstruction of Fiona.
(Image Courtesy of Mauricio Álvarez)Don't be misled by their body shape.
“Ichthyosaurs are not related to dolphins,” clarifies Pardo-Pérez.
Although their hydrodynamic silhouettes may look nearly identical, the former were marine reptiles, while the latter are mammals.
This resemblance results from a phenomenon known as convergent evolution: when species from different lineages develop similar anatomical features to adapt to the same environment.Ichthyosaurs evolved from terrestrial reptiles that, in response to ecological and climatic changes, began spending more time in the water until they fully adapted to a marine lifestyle.
However, they retained traces of their land-dwelling ancestry, such as a pair of hind flippers — absent in dolphins — passed down from their walking forebears.
They lived and thrived in prehistoric oceans for about 180 million years, giving them ample time to refine a highly specialized body: their forelimbs and hindlimbs transformed into flippers; they developed a crescent-shaped tail for propulsion, a dorsal fin for stability, and a streamlined body to reduce drag in the water.
Remarkably, like whales and dolphins, “ichthyosaurs had a thick layer of blubber as insulation to maintain a higher body temperature than the surrounding seawater and gave birth to live young, which meant they didn’t need to leave the water to reproduce,” explains Maxwell.Whales and dolphins also descend from land-dwelling ancestors, but their transition happened over a comparatively short evolutionary timespan, especially when measured against the long reign of the ichthyosaurs.
“Their evolution hasn't had as much time as that of ichthyosaurs,” notes Pardo-Pérez.
“And yet, they look so similar.
That’s the wonderful thing about evolution.”Read More: Did a Swimming Reptile Predate the Dinosaurs?Fossils on the Verge of DisappearanceOne of the key factors behind the remarkable preservation of the fossils found in the Tyndall Glacier is the way they were buried.
According to Malkowski, Fiona and her contemporaries were either trapped or swiftly covered by underwater landslides and turbidity currents — geological processes that led to their sudden entombment.But the good fortune that protected them for millions of years may now be running out.
As the glacier retreats, exposing fossils that were once unreachable, those same remains are now vulnerable to wind, rain, and freeze-thaw cycles, which crack the surrounding rock.
As vegetation takes hold, roots accelerate erosion and eventually conceal the fossils once again.“While climate change has allowed these fossils to be studied, continued warming will also eventually lead to their loss,” Maxwell warns.
In Fiona’s story, scientists find not only a record of ancient life, but also a warning etched in stone and bone: what time reveals, climate can reclaim.Article SourcesOur writers at Discovermagazine.com use peer-reviewed studies and high-quality sources for our articles, and our editors review for scientific accuracy and editorial standards.
Review the sources used below for this article:María de los Ángeles Orfila is a science journalist based in Montevideo, Uruguay, focusing on long-form storytelling.
Her work has appeared in Discover Magazine, Science, National Geographic, among other outlets, and in leading Uruguayan publications such as El País and El Observador.
She was a fellow in the 2023 Sharon Dunwoody Mentoring Program by The Open Notebook and often explores the intersections of science, culture, and Latin American identity.
#666;">المصدر: https://www.discovermagazine.com/the-sciences/first-ever-pregnant-ichthyosaur-from-the-early-cretaceous-reveals-life-in" style="color: #0066cc; text-decoration: none;">www.discovermagazine.com
#0066cc;">#first #ever #pregnant #ichthyosaur #from #the #early #cretaceous #reveals #life #prehistoric #seas #during #excavation #amidst #patagonian #winds #and #hard #rock #fossil #began #turn #greenit #was #unexpected #reaction #adhesive #applied #protect #bones #fragile #after #millions #years #beneath #ice #had #interacted #with #plant #matter #trapped #rocks #cracksthis #greenish #hue #earned #nickname #fiona #like #ogre #shrekbut #fionais #much #more #than #ogrethemed #nameit #complete #excavated #chile #even #remarkably #only #known #female #hauterivian #stage #dating #back #million #yearsher #skeleton #discovered #edge #tyndall #glacier #torres #del #paine #national #park #area #increasingly #exposed #glacial #retreat #belongs #species #myobradypterygius #hauthali #originally #described #argentina #fragmentary #remainsthe #discovery #led #judith #pardopérez #researcher #university #magallanes #cabo #hornos #international #center #chic #published #journal #vertebrate 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#lifewe #firm #grasp #significant #events #vertebrates #geological #allow #explore #relationship #between #earths #past #notesevolution #ichthyosaursreconstruction #fionaimage #mauricio #Álvarezdon039t #misled #their #body #shapeichthyosaurs #not #related #dolphins #clarifies #pardopérezalthough #hydrodynamic #silhouettes #look #identical #former #while #latter #mammalsthis #resemblance #results #phenomenon #convergent #evolution #when #lineages #develop #anatomical #features #adapt #same #environmentichthyosaurs #evolved #terrestrial #response #ecological #climatic #spending #water #until #fully #lifestylehowever #retained #traces #landdwelling #ancestry #pair #hind #flippers #absent #passed #down #walking #forebearsthey #lived #thrived #giving #ample #refine #highly #specialized #forelimbs #hindlimbs #transformed #developed #crescentshaped #tail #propulsion #dorsal #stability #streamlined #reduce #drag #waterremarkably #whales #thick #layer #blubber #insulation #maintain #temperature #surrounding #seawater #gave #live #young #meant #didnt #need #leave #reproduce #explains #maxwellwhales #descend #ancestors #transition #happened #over #comparatively #short #evolutionary #timespan #especially #measured #against #reign #ichthyosaurstheir #hasn039t #notes #pardopérezand #yet #similarthats #wonderful #thing #evolutionread #did #swimming #reptile #predate #dinosaursfossils #verge #disappearanceone #factors #behind #remarkable #preservation #fossils #way #buriedaccording #contemporaries #either #swiftly #covered #underwater #landslides #turbidity #currents #processes #sudden #entombmentbut #good #fortune #protected #now #running #outas #retreats #exposing #once #unreachable #vulnerable #wind #rain #freezethaw #cycles #crack #rockas #vegetation #takes #hold #roots #accelerate #erosion #eventually #conceal #againwhile #climate #change #studied #continued #warming #will #lead #loss #warnsin #fionas #story #scientists #record #warning #etched #stone #bone #can #reclaimarticle #sourcesour #writers #discovermagazinecom #use #peerreviewed #studies #highquality #sources #our #articles #editors #review #scientific #accuracy #editorial #standardsreview #used #below #articlemaría #los #Ángeles #orfila #science #journalist #based #montevideo #uruguay #focusing #longform #storytellingher #work #appeared #discover #magazine #geographic #among #outlets #leading #uruguayan #publications #país #observadorshe #fellow #sharon #dunwoody #mentoring #program #open #notebook #often #explores #intersections #culture #latin #american #identity

First Ever Pregnant Ichthyosaur from the Early Cretaceous Reveals Life in Prehistoric Seas
During an excavation, amidst the Patagonian winds and hard rock, a fossil began to turn green. It was an unexpected reaction: the adhesive applied to protect the bones, fragile after millions of years beneath the ice, had interacted with plant matter trapped in the rock’s cracks. This greenish hue earned the fossil the nickname Fiona, like the ogre from Shrek.But Fionais much more than a ogre-themed name. It is the first complete ichthyosaur ever excavated in Chile and, even more remarkably, the only known pregnant female from the Hauterivian — a stage of the Early Cretaceous dating back 131 million years. Her skeleton, discovered at the edge of the Tyndall Glacier in Torres del Paine National Park — an area increasingly exposed by glacial retreat — belongs to the species Myobradypterygius hauthali, originally described in Argentina from fragmentary remains.The discovery, led by Judith Pardo-Pérez, a researcher at the University of Magallanes and the Cabo de Hornos International Center (CHIC), and published in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, offers an unprecedented glimpse into ancient marine life — from how these majestic reptiles reproduced to how they adapted to oceans vastly different from those of today.An Ichthyosaur Maternity Ward in Patagonia(Image Courtesy of Irene Viscor)So far, 88 ichthyosaurs have been found on the Tyndall Glacier. Most of them are adults and newborns. Two key facts stand out: food was abundant, and no other predators were competing with them.Fiona, who measures nearly 13 feet long, is still encased in five blocks of rock. Despite the challenge, she was transported to a local clinic, where CT scans allowed researchers to study her skull and body. Her species was identified thanks to one of her fins. “There’s no other like it in the world,” says Pardo-Pérez. The limbs were remarkably elongated, suggesting this animal was built for long-distance swimming.Inside her, there were more surprises. One of them was her stomach contents, which revealed what may have been her last meal: tiny fish vertebrae. But the most striking find was a fetus, about 20 inches long, already in a position to be born.“We believe these animals came to Magallanes — the southern tip of Chilean Patagonia — from time to time to give birth, because it was a safe refuge,” Pardo-Pérez says. “We don't know how long they stayed, but we do know that mortality was high during the first few days of life.”One of the big unanswered questions is where they went next, as there are no records of Myobradypterygius hauthali, apart from a piece of fin found in Argentina. The most abundant remains come from southern Germany, but those date back to the Jurassic period, meaning they’re older.Palaeontologist Erin Maxwell suggests, “In many modern ecosystems, species migrate to higher latitudes during the summer to take advantage of seasonally abundant resources and then move to lower latitudes in winter to avoid harsh conditions,” she explains. “We believe Mesozoic marine reptiles may have followed similar seasonal patterns.”Sea Dragon GraveyardThe environment where Fiona was discovered — dubbed the "sea dragon graveyard" — also has much to reveal.According to geologist Matthew Malkowski of the University of Texas at Austin, the Hauterivian age is particularly intriguing because it coincided with major planetary changes: the breakup of continents, intense volcanic episodes, and phenomena known as "oceanic anoxic events," during which vast areas of the ocean were depleted of dissolved oxygen for hundreds of thousands of years.One such poorly understood event, the Pharaonic Anoxic Event, occurred around 131 million years ago, near the end of the Hauterivian, and still raises questions about its true impact on marine life. “We don't have a firm grasp of how significant these events were for marine vertebrates, and geological records like that of the Tyndall Glacier allow us to explore the relationship between life, the environment, and Earth’s past conditions,” Malkowski notes.Evolution of IchthyosaursReconstruction of Fiona. (Image Courtesy of Mauricio Álvarez)Don't be misled by their body shape. “Ichthyosaurs are not related to dolphins,” clarifies Pardo-Pérez. Although their hydrodynamic silhouettes may look nearly identical, the former were marine reptiles, while the latter are mammals. This resemblance results from a phenomenon known as convergent evolution: when species from different lineages develop similar anatomical features to adapt to the same environment.Ichthyosaurs evolved from terrestrial reptiles that, in response to ecological and climatic changes, began spending more time in the water until they fully adapted to a marine lifestyle. However, they retained traces of their land-dwelling ancestry, such as a pair of hind flippers — absent in dolphins — passed down from their walking forebears. They lived and thrived in prehistoric oceans for about 180 million years, giving them ample time to refine a highly specialized body: their forelimbs and hindlimbs transformed into flippers; they developed a crescent-shaped tail for propulsion, a dorsal fin for stability, and a streamlined body to reduce drag in the water. Remarkably, like whales and dolphins, “ichthyosaurs had a thick layer of blubber as insulation to maintain a higher body temperature than the surrounding seawater and gave birth to live young, which meant they didn’t need to leave the water to reproduce,” explains Maxwell.Whales and dolphins also descend from land-dwelling ancestors, but their transition happened over a comparatively short evolutionary timespan, especially when measured against the long reign of the ichthyosaurs. “Their evolution hasn't had as much time as that of ichthyosaurs,” notes Pardo-Pérez. “And yet, they look so similar. That’s the wonderful thing about evolution.”Read More: Did a Swimming Reptile Predate the Dinosaurs?Fossils on the Verge of DisappearanceOne of the key factors behind the remarkable preservation of the fossils found in the Tyndall Glacier is the way they were buried. According to Malkowski, Fiona and her contemporaries were either trapped or swiftly covered by underwater landslides and turbidity currents — geological processes that led to their sudden entombment.But the good fortune that protected them for millions of years may now be running out. As the glacier retreats, exposing fossils that were once unreachable, those same remains are now vulnerable to wind, rain, and freeze-thaw cycles, which crack the surrounding rock. As vegetation takes hold, roots accelerate erosion and eventually conceal the fossils once again.“While climate change has allowed these fossils to be studied, continued warming will also eventually lead to their loss,” Maxwell warns. In Fiona’s story, scientists find not only a record of ancient life, but also a warning etched in stone and bone: what time reveals, climate can reclaim.Article SourcesOur writers at Discovermagazine.com use peer-reviewed studies and high-quality sources for our articles, and our editors review for scientific accuracy and editorial standards. Review the sources used below for this article:María de los Ángeles Orfila is a science journalist based in Montevideo, Uruguay, focusing on long-form storytelling. Her work has appeared in Discover Magazine, Science, National Geographic, among other outlets, and in leading Uruguayan publications such as El País and El Observador. She was a fellow in the 2023 Sharon Dunwoody Mentoring Program by The Open Notebook and often explores the intersections of science, culture, and Latin American identity.
المصدر: www.discovermagazine.com
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First Ever Pregnant Ichthyosaur from the Early Cretaceous Reveals Life in Prehistoric Seas

During an excavation, amidst the Patagonian winds and hard rock, a fossil began to turn green. It was an unexpected reaction: the adhesive applied to protect the bones, fragile after millions of years beneath the ice, had interacted with plant matter trapped in the rock’s cracks. This greenish hue earned the fossil the nickname Fiona, like the ogre from Shrek.But Fionais much more than a ogre-themed name. It is the first complete ichthyosaur ever excavated in Chile and, even more remarkably, the only known pregnant female from the Hauterivian — a stage of the Early Cretaceous dating back 131 million years. Her skeleton, discovered at the edge of the Tyndall Glacier in Torres del Paine National Park — an area increasingly exposed by glacial retreat — belongs to the species Myobradypterygius hauthali, originally described in Argentina from fragmentary remains.The discovery, led by Judith Pardo-Pérez, a researcher at the University of Magallanes and the Cabo de Hornos International Center (CHIC), and published in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, offers an unprecedented glimpse into ancient marine life — from how these majestic reptiles reproduced to how they adapted to oceans vastly different from those of today.An Ichthyosaur Maternity Ward in Patagonia(Image Courtesy of Irene Viscor)So far, 88 ichthyosaurs have been found on the Tyndall Glacier. Most of them are adults and newborns. Two key facts stand out: food was abundant, and no other predators were competing with them.Fiona, who measures nearly 13 feet long, is still encased in five blocks of rock. Despite the challenge, she was transported to a local clinic, where CT scans allowed researchers to study her skull and body. Her species was identified thanks to one of her fins. “There’s no other like it in the world,” says Pardo-Pérez. The limbs were remarkably elongated, suggesting this animal was built for long-distance swimming.Inside her, there were more surprises. One of them was her stomach contents, which revealed what may have been her last meal: tiny fish vertebrae. But the most striking find was a fetus, about 20 inches long, already in a position to be born.“We believe these animals came to Magallanes — the southern tip of Chilean Patagonia — from time to time to give birth, because it was a safe refuge,” Pardo-Pérez says. “We don't know how long they stayed, but we do know that mortality was high during the first few days of life.”One of the big unanswered questions is where they went next, as there are no records of Myobradypterygius hauthali, apart from a piece of fin found in Argentina. The most abundant remains come from southern Germany, but those date back to the Jurassic period, meaning they’re older.Palaeontologist Erin Maxwell suggests, “In many modern ecosystems, species migrate to higher latitudes during the summer to take advantage of seasonally abundant resources and then move to lower latitudes in winter to avoid harsh conditions,” she explains. “We believe Mesozoic marine reptiles may have followed similar seasonal patterns.”Sea Dragon GraveyardThe environment where Fiona was discovered — dubbed the "sea dragon graveyard" — also has much to reveal.According to geologist Matthew Malkowski of the University of Texas at Austin, the Hauterivian age is particularly intriguing because it coincided with major planetary changes: the breakup of continents, intense volcanic episodes, and phenomena known as "oceanic anoxic events," during which vast areas of the ocean were depleted of dissolved oxygen for hundreds of thousands of years.One such poorly understood event, the Pharaonic Anoxic Event, occurred around 131 million years ago, near the end of the Hauterivian, and still raises questions about its true impact on marine life. “We don't have a firm grasp of how significant these events were for marine vertebrates, and geological records like that of the Tyndall Glacier allow us to explore the relationship between life, the environment, and Earth’s past conditions,” Malkowski notes.Evolution of IchthyosaursReconstruction of Fiona. (Image Courtesy of Mauricio Álvarez)Don't be misled by their body shape. “Ichthyosaurs are not related to dolphins,” clarifies Pardo-Pérez. Although their hydrodynamic silhouettes may look nearly identical, the former were marine reptiles, while the latter are mammals. This resemblance results from a phenomenon known as convergent evolution: when species from different lineages develop similar anatomical features to adapt to the same environment.Ichthyosaurs evolved from terrestrial reptiles that, in response to ecological and climatic changes, began spending more time in the water until they fully adapted to a marine lifestyle. However, they retained traces of their land-dwelling ancestry, such as a pair of hind flippers — absent in dolphins — passed down from their walking forebears. They lived and thrived in prehistoric oceans for about 180 million years, giving them ample time to refine a highly specialized body: their forelimbs and hindlimbs transformed into flippers; they developed a crescent-shaped tail for propulsion, a dorsal fin for stability, and a streamlined body to reduce drag in the water. Remarkably, like whales and dolphins, “ichthyosaurs had a thick layer of blubber as insulation to maintain a higher body temperature than the surrounding seawater and gave birth to live young, which meant they didn’t need to leave the water to reproduce,” explains Maxwell.Whales and dolphins also descend from land-dwelling ancestors, but their transition happened over a comparatively short evolutionary timespan, especially when measured against the long reign of the ichthyosaurs. “Their evolution hasn't had as much time as that of ichthyosaurs,” notes Pardo-Pérez. “And yet, they look so similar. That’s the wonderful thing about evolution.”Read More: Did a Swimming Reptile Predate the Dinosaurs?Fossils on the Verge of DisappearanceOne of the key factors behind the remarkable preservation of the fossils found in the Tyndall Glacier is the way they were buried. According to Malkowski, Fiona and her contemporaries were either trapped or swiftly covered by underwater landslides and turbidity currents — geological processes that led to their sudden entombment.But the good fortune that protected them for millions of years may now be running out. As the glacier retreats, exposing fossils that were once unreachable, those same remains are now vulnerable to wind, rain, and freeze-thaw cycles, which crack the surrounding rock. As vegetation takes hold, roots accelerate erosion and eventually conceal the fossils once again.“While climate change has allowed these fossils to be studied, continued warming will also eventually lead to their loss,” Maxwell warns. In Fiona’s story, scientists find not only a record of ancient life, but also a warning etched in stone and bone: what time reveals, climate can reclaim.Article SourcesOur writers at Discovermagazine.com use peer-reviewed studies and high-quality sources for our articles, and our editors review for scientific accuracy and editorial standards. Review the sources used below for this article:María de los Ángeles Orfila is a science journalist based in Montevideo, Uruguay, focusing on long-form storytelling. Her work has appeared in Discover Magazine, Science, National Geographic, among other outlets, and in leading Uruguayan publications such as El País and El Observador. She was a fellow in the 2023 Sharon Dunwoody Mentoring Program by The Open Notebook and often explores the intersections of science, culture, and Latin American identity.

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First Ever Pregnant Ichthyosaur from the Early Cretaceous Reveals Life in Prehistoric Seas