(CNN) – In the five known mass extinction events on Earth, intriguing life has occasionally reappeared and thrived in the wake of the disaster. Now, researchers have discovered fossils of a previously unknown reptile, from the early Triassic period, that did exactly that. And J.R.R. Tolkien can recognize the name of this “Strider”, who lived between 247 and 251 million years ago.
The fossil’s history begins with the largest mass extinction event in Earth’s known history, which occurred 250 million years ago at the end of the Permian era. The Permian mass extinction event, as it is known, killed 95% of marine life and 70% of species on land. Unlike the asteroid that caused the extinction of the dinosaurs, 66 million years ago, the cause of the Permian extinction is not directly known, although researchers believe that volcanic eruptions and global warming played an important role.
An evolution of animal life occurred in the years after the Permian mass extinction event, but some groups flourished more than others. A category of reptiles called archosaurs were among them.
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The archosaurs included large predatory reptiles; plant eaters; armored reptiles, similar to crocodiles; and primitive dinosaurs. They thrived and spread throughout the world during the Triassic period.
A mysterious group from this period called tanistrophids has captivated researchers for a long time. Several specimens of these long-necked reptiles have appeared over the years, generally from the Middle to Late Triassic period in areas of Asia, Europe and North America.
The strange reptiles had necks so long that they included between eight and thirteen elongated vertebrae. The long neck extended to an elongated thorn that was close to the ground.
The previously discovered tanistrophid fossils were found in marine sediments, suggesting that they lived in bodies of water.
But the remains of the first days of these strange reptiles are incredibly rare. So it was a pleasant surprise when researchers discovered the early Triassic fossil of a similar-looking reptile in the Sanga do Cabral Formation in southern Brazil.
They believe it is a cousin, and the closest known relative, of the tanistrophid. The study was published Wednesday in the journal PLOS ONE.
The researchers named the new species Elessaurus gondwanoccidens. Fans of J.R.R.’s “The Lord of the Rings” series Tolkien may recognize part of the first name, derived from Tolkien’s Elven language called Quenya. In Quenya, Elessar means “elf stone.” And Elessar Telcontar is the name chosen by King Aragorn II, who is also known by the nicknames Strider and Longshanks.
Given the fact that this reptile had long legs, the researchers deemed it appropriate, they said.
The species name, gondwanoccidens, is derived from the supercontinent Gondwana, which once included the modern regions of Antarctica, South America, Africa, India, the Arabian Peninsula, Australia and New Zealand. And in Latin, “occidens” means “from the west”. Together, the species name suggests the location of the fossil.
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An analysis of the long-legged elessaurus revealed that it probably lived on land, the researchers said. The fact that this tanistrophid cousin lived on land, and further south from its mysterious relative, suggests that elessaurus diversified, spread, and evolved after the Permian extinction.
The researchers now believe that elessaurus may be the ancestor of later tanistrophids, which evolved to live in the water of the northern continents.
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