Rio de Janeiro - Two strange reptile that looked like mammals roam in Brazil ancient era, about 235 million years ago. These animals such as rats like scaly. Having sharp teeth and allegedly eating insects.
Animals were attributed cynodonts species. This was revealed in a recent study published in the journal PLoS ONE on October 5, 2016.
According to the researchers, the analysis of two species cynodonts this newfound reveal how the mammalian species evolved late Triassic Period.
LiveScience quoted on Thursday (06/10/2016), AgustÃn Martinelli, an expert paleoantologi from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, to explain it.
"These fossils help us understand more clearly about the evolution of forms of pre-mammals which paved the way for the formation of groups of mammals, including humans (Homo sapiens) as we are," said Martinelli.
Cynodonts animals existed before the dinosaurs. They first appeared in the fossil record 260 million years ago, during the Permian.
The researchers say that their descendants include marsupials, mammals which have a uterus and also monotremes, are mammals that lay eggs for continuing descendants, such as the platypus and echidna.
However, as explained further by the researchers, cynodonts who lived in the late Permian and early Triassic (Triassic Period) is not a mammal. They are reptiles that had a skull and jaw-like mammal.
Specimens of one species cynodonts newfound stored as collections in the Museum of Earth Sciences in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, since 1946.
That's when an expert paleoantologi Brazil named L.I. Price found two skulls and two jaw in the rock that is dated between 237 and 235 million years ago.
The stones were found in Santa Cruz do Sul, in the state of Rio Grande do Sul is located in the south of Brazil.
Specimens came from small animals measuring about 30 cm with upper canine teeth were sticking out so suspected as eating insects.
Anatomy of creature it signifies that it belongs to the family section cynodonts an extinct carnivorous, namely Probainognathidae.
In fact, the newly discovered species are likely to be linked to Probainognathus jenseni, a species found in the Triassic age rocks in La Rioja, Argentina west.
The researchers say that the newly discovered creature was quite different so it is worth to have its own genus and species, namely Bonacynodon schultzi.
The name was given in honor of two renowned experts paleoantologi, Jose Bonaparte from Argentina and Cesar Schultz from Brazil. Both devoted their lives to research Triassic fossils in South America.
Cynodonts other species are also found in Rio Grande do Sul. He was identified through fewer relics, namely a jaw with some teeth.
The researchers call Santacruzgnathus abdalai to honor Fernando Abdala, an expert who examined cynodonts paleoantologi South America and Africa.
Size S. abdalai roughly half the size of B. schultzi. Only approximately 15 cm. The shape and arrangement of the teeth S. abdalai "resembles that of the early mammals," says Martinelli.
However, two cynodonts that lived millions of years before the emergence of the first known mammals, the shrew-like creature. This creature lived about 160 million years in the region now in the Chinese authorities. According to experts told LiveScience in 2011.