Ancient Marine Reptile wiht Exceptionally Long Neck Discovered in China
Lijiang,โ china – Paleontologists have unearthed a fossil of a previously unkown marine โreptile in China’s Yunnan province, revealing the oldest known โsauropterygian to possess an extraordinarily long neck. The finding,detailed in the journal Communications Biology,pushes back the timeline for โฃthe evolution of this key adaptation adn offers new insights intoโ the recovery of marine ecosystems following the Permian mass extinction.
The reptile, named Lijiangosaurus, lived โapproximately 240 millionโ years ago during the Early Triassic period.This finding is significant because it โคdemonstrates that the evolution of extremely elongated necksโ in marine reptiles occurredโข earlier than previously believed, challenging existing understandings of sauropterygianโ development. The Permian-Triassic extinction event wiped out a vastโค majority of life on Earth, and the โขsubsequent period saw rapid evolutionary experimentation as animals adapted to fill newly available ecological niches.
Lijiangosaurus not only boasted a โฃlong neck but also exhibited unique articulations โbetween itsโ vertebrae – a feature not seen in other known reptiles. Researchers hypothesize this specialized bone structure aided in body stability while โขswimming, potentially allowing the reptile to move โmore efficiently through the water.
“We think this structure helps โคreduce body waves during swimming,” the scientists stated.
The discovery highlights the evolutionary versatility of earlyโ sauropterygians and adds to the growing understanding of vertebral diversity in reptiles. the research team concluded that Lijiangosaurus provides valuableโฃ evidence of the dynamic skeletal adaptations occurring in the wake of the Permian mass extinction.