Fossil Remains of ‘Weird’ Creature with Twisted jaw and Sideways Teeth Discovered
Good News Network • • science
Key Points:
- Paleontologists have discovered fossilized remains of a plant-eating reptile named Tanyka amnicola in Brazil, dating back around 275 million years, characterized by a uniquely twisted jaw and sideways-facing teeth adapted for grinding plants.
- Tanyka is considered a "living fossil" and part of the stem tetrapod lineage, an ancient group of four-legged vertebrates that existed alongside more modern tetrapods, resembling a salamander with a longer snout.
- The fossils were found in the Pedra de Fogo Formation, providing rare insights into the ecosystem of Gondwana during the early Permian period, with Tanyka likely living in lakes and feeding on plants, unlike most of its carnivorous stem tetrapod
