This armor, or carapace, is roughly 70% undamaged, covering from the neck and shoulders to the tail tip. This new analysis provides an unusual, detailed view of an aetosaurs protective covering. “Usually, you find very restricted product,” stated William Reyes, a doctoral student at the UT Jackson School of Geosciences who led the research.
William Reyes, a doctoral trainee at the Jackson School of Geosciences, takes a look at an aetosaur specimen on screen at the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science. Credit: William Reyes
While studying this plated armor, Reyes and coworkers recognized that it didnt match the patterns of previous specimens. They make a compelling case that the fossils come from a brand-new aetosaur species called Garza pelta muelleri. This name admires Garza County, Texas, where the discovery was made, and Bill Mueller, the paleontologist who discovered it, with “pelta” indicating guard in Latin.
Scientists mostly differentiate between aetosaur types through their bony armor plates. Generally, fossil remains are couple of and far in between but a brand-new study by The University of Texas at Austin focuses on almost total aetosaur armor. It would have covered most of the creatures body.
Illustration of Garzapelta mueller. Credit: Márcio L. Castro
Dinosaurs often steal the ancient spotlight, however before their reign, aetosaurs– the greatly armored loved ones these dayss crocodiles– controlled the world. These Triassic behemoths flourished until their termination about 200 million years earlier. Their fossils are spread across every continent except Antarctica and Australia, a testament to their environmental success over millions of years.
Part croc, part armadillo
” Take a crocodile from modern, and turn it into an armadillo,” said Reyes, explaining the frightening ancient monster.
An osteoderm from the trunk area of Garzapelta muelleri. Leading image is the osteoderm as seen from above. The bottom image is the osteoderm seen from the side. Scale bar is 5 centimeters. Credit: William Reyes
Reconstruction of the aetosaur Garzapelta muelleri, as seen from above. Credit: Jeffrey Martz
The findings appeared in The Anatomical Record.
Interestingly, the enormous spikes of Garzapelta are extremely comparable to those found on another aetosaur. However, the two are not directly related. Rather, the spikes are the result of convergent advancement– where unrelated types separately evolve comparable traits. Sometimes this happens since they share the exact same evolutionary pressures. Another example is the advancement of the ability to fly, which has taken place individually in bats, bugs, and birds.
Part crocodile, part armadillo, however also part bird and pig. Thats since aetosaurs– whose name suggests “eagle lizard– had a head resembling a bird, which ended in a pig-like snout over a shovel-shaped jaw. What a mixture.
Garzapelta lived around 215 million years ago and resembled todays American crocodile however much more greatly armored. And they look comparable for a factor. Aetosaurs and crocodilians both come from the ancient clade Pseudosuchia.
Garzapeltas armor was made from osteoderms embedded in the skin, which formed a protective suit, matched by curved spikes for extra defense. Unlike modern carnivorous crocodiles, aetosaurs were likely omnivorous. Aetosaurs were significant reptiles that grew to be one to 5 meters long, the average being about three meters (10 feet).
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Dinosaurs frequently steal the ancient spotlight, however before their reign, aetosaurs– the heavily armored family members of todays crocodiles– dominated the world. Scientists primarily distinguish between aetosaur species through their bony armor plates. Normally, fossil remains are few and far between however a new research study by The University of Texas at Austin focuses on nearly total aetosaur armor. They make a compelling case that the fossils belong to a brand-new aetosaur species called Garza pelta muelleri. Interestingly, the enormous spikes of Garzapelta are very comparable to those found on another aetosaur.