A species of carnivorous lizard has been discovered that is about 247 million years old

Scientists have identified a new species of lizard-like amphibian that appeared in Australia about 247 million years ago.

Discover this old Carnivorous lizard It puts an end to a mystery that has plagued researchers since the 1990s, when the fossilized remains of the creature were found by a retired bird farmer named Michael Michelidis in New South Wales.

globally less than specified 10 fossils of lizard-like species Experts say the discovery may be Rewriting the history of amphibian evolution in Australia..

A wall was broken in the bird farmer’s garden in Umena that led to the discovery of the stunning fossil nearly three decades ago.

The retired poultry farmer bought materials to fix the problem. But when he cut through the outer layers of the stone, the outline of an unknown creature was revealed. Michaelidis contacted the Australian Museum in Sydney to report his discovery and 1997 Fossil handed over.

Lachlan Hart, the paleontologist who years later would decipher the fossilized remains of the strange creature, first saw it as a child.

“I was obsessed with dinosaurs and When I was 12 years old, I saw this fossil To be shown in 1997. And 25 years later it became part of my PhD thesis, which is crazy,” says Hart.

He admits it was fortunate that he and his team, who had been studying life in Australia’s Triassic period some 250 million years ago, received the fossil for study. One of the great things is that this is an “almost complete skeleton”.

“It is attached to the head and body and the creature’s ossified skin and fatty tissue around the outside of its body all together make this a truly rare find.”

From this data, Hart and his colleagues estimated that amphibians have It is about 1.5 meters long and has a salamander-like body. The species of lizards that are found are named after them Arenaepeton supinatus.

Scientists say that Carnivorous amphibians He once lived in the freshwater lakes and streams of Sydney. This particular species belongs to the family Temnospondyli and is a hardy amphibian that survived two of Earth’s five major mass extinction events, including a series of volcanic eruptions Which wiped out 70-80% of the dinosaurs 66 million years ago.

Only three other fossils of this type have been identified in Australia. The results, published yesterday, show that “Australia was one A great place for animals to evolve and finding refuge after mass extinctions,” says Hart.

The unusual fossil will be displayed at the Australian Museum in 2023.

With information from the BBC