In the southwest of Canada Alberta, scientists made a discovery that could change our understanding of the origin of freshwater fish. In the deposits of the Cretaceous period, the researchers found a miniature fish fossil of only 4 cm long, which is now the oldest representative of North America.
The new species were called Acronichthys Maccagnoi and dates from about 100 million years of age. This means that he lived with dinosaurs such as Tyrannosaurus in the same period. According to scientists, Bul allows you to fill an important gap in the history of fish evolution and offers new data about the transition from sea to fresh water environment. The works of the international team have been published in Science magazine.
Autopofized fish are unique: the first four vertebrae are arranged to help transmit vibrations from swimming balloon to ear – in fact they have their own hearing systems. This feature was taken into consideration in the acronichthys fossils using Micro-KT and syncrotron radiation that allowed scientists to examine the details of the skeleton without damaging the details of the skeleton.
According to paleontologists, it is interesting that this fish group can switch from more than once to fresh water lifestyle. A new study shows that such a transition took place at least twice, and that the distinction between the sea and fresh water forms could begin when Pangea SuperContinat left 154 million years ago.
Considering that they cannot survive in salt water, scientists do not yet know how the ancestors of this fish can spread to different continents. This question remains open. However, something is clear: Acronichthys has become an important puzzle element in understanding how various fish we see in the rivers and lakes in the world in prehistoric times.
Meanwhile, previous scientists found antiquities in bird’s nests. What exactly they found there, read here.
Source: People Talk
Mary Crossley is an author at “The Fashion Vibes”. She is a seasoned journalist who is dedicated to delivering the latest news to her readers. With a keen sense of what’s important, Mary covers a wide range of topics, from politics to lifestyle and everything in between.
