This 275-million-year-old animal had a twisted jaw like nothing alive today
Key takeaways
- In a dry riverbed deep within a forest near the Amazon in Brazil, paleontologists uncovered a fossilized jawbone from a previously unknown ancient animal.
- Even so, these isolated jaws revealed something remarkable.
- In a study published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, researchers formally described the species and named it Tanyka amnicola.
Why this matters: new research or scientific developments with potential real-world impact.
In a dry riverbed deep within a forest near the Amazon in Brazil, paleontologists uncovered a fossilized jawbone from a previously unknown ancient animal. As their excavation continued, the team found eight more similar jawbones, each about six inches long. However, they did not recover any additional bones that could clearly be matched to a full skeleton.
Even so, these isolated jaws revealed something remarkable. The fossils belonged to a species that lived around 275 million years ago and would have been considered a "living fossil" even in its own time. The jaws were also highly unusual, with a twisted shape. Some of the teeth pointed outward and sideways, while rows of smaller teeth lined the inner surfaces. This structure suggests the animal may have been among the earliest of its kind to grind plant material.
In a study published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, researchers formally described the species and named it Tanyka amnicola. The name Tanyka comes from the Indigenous Guaran language and means "jaw," while amnicola translates to "living by the river."