Researchers from the Stuttgart Museum of Natural History in Germany have identified an odd new species of dolphin-like marine reptile with a super unique nose, according to research published in the journal Papers in Palaeontology.
Found in the Paja Formation of Colombia, the creature was an ichthyosaur believed to be from the Early Cretaceous period, or Muiscasaurus catheti, study author Erin Maxwell and her colleagues wrote. Although it was identified using only partial remains of a skull, it differs from other ichthyosaurs in its nasal cavity openings, rostrum, and postorbital region.
As BBC Earth explained, each of the creature’s nostrils was split into two separate openings, and Maxwell’s team also reported that it had a slender rostrum, narrow postorbital region, and gracile dentition. This large-eyed, slender-jawed, small-toothed marine reptile would have lived roughly 130 million years ago and likely sustained itself on a diet of small fish.
Juvenile fossil indicative of moderate Cretaceous diversity
Maxwell told the BBC that it’s difficult to determine exactly what M. catheti might have looked like due to the limited amount of fossils recovered. However, her team’s analysis concluded that the specimen they discovered was most likely a juvenile that was about three meters in length.
“I could tell it was a juvenile based on the size of its eyes relative to the rest of the skull,” she said. “In reptiles, babies have very big eyes and heads compared to their body.” In addition, the bones of the creature were porous, indicating that it was likely still growing. Adult members of the species likely grew up to five meters, although the shape of their bodies remains uncertain.
Maxwell was also excited to find the fossil in the tropics, a region which is currently rich in marine vertebrate biodiversity but one where few species from the early Cretaceous have been identified. This discovery could help reveal “if the tropical seas always were biodiversity hotspots, or if this was a relatively recent phenomenon,” she said.
In fact, the authors reported that M. catheti is only the second confirmed species of ichthyosaur to have originated from the Paja Formation. Its identification suggests that there was likely moderate taxonomic and ecological ichthyosaur diversity in this region of the world during the Early Cretaceous, the period between 145 million and 100 million years ago.
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Feature Image: Erin Maxwell
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