Lariosaurus found 240 million years with unique skin
Lariosaurus found 240 million years with unique skin
In Switzerland, paleontologists from Insumbri UniversityAnd (Italy), they discovered an impressive find – the fossil of sea reptiles with the age of 240 million years, which retained not only skeletons, but also soft tissues, including skin with a clear scales. This is the first famous model of Lariosaurus, whose skin has survived to this day almost in its original form. The results are published in Swiss Journal of Palaeontology.
Front limbs instead of tail
Chatgpt said:
The reptile lived in the middle trias (approximately 247–235 million years ago), shortly after the catastrophic Perm extinction, when the oceans were almost empty from competitors and rich in food. In such conditions, small water reptiles easily mastered new niches and quickly evolved. The new sample turned out to be very valuable for scientists, since the soft fabrics usually disappear, leaving only the bones.
The skin is preserved in the form of a thin carbon film, clearly showing the shape of scales and membranous limbs. Paleontologists were able to measure the outlines of the body, muscles and shape to restore the Lariosaurus swimming style. The uniqueness of the find lies in the details of the skin and front paws. The results indicate that the Lariosaurus used the front limbs for more active movement in water. The structure of the body and muscles gave a rare opportunity to understand how these creatures swam and adapted to life in the ocean. The whole body was covered with scales, unlike the plesiosaurs, in which it found only on the limbs.
Фото: Swiss Journal of Palaeontology 2025
Researchers note that webial front and hind limbs functioned like flippers, allowing reptiles to accelerate in the water short, powerful bursts resembling the movements of modern seals
Why the skin is so perfect
The skin was preserved due to An unusual environment of Monte-san-jorgio: Weak water circulation, low oxygen content and special chemical composition were very slowed to decompose tissues. The dead animals quickly turned out to be covered with a sediment, which protected the soft tissues from scavengers and microbes, due to which they have survived to this day almost in its original form.
The study was carried out using high -precision photography and scanning, which allows you to study the smallest details of scales and muscle fasteners. These observations question the previous ideas about the notosaurs, which include this subspecies of lairiozaurs, according to which the tail was considered the main engine in the water.
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Published on: 2025-09-29 16:21:00
Source: naukatv.ru
