Scientists announce major fossil discovery in Yuan'an
2023-06-20 20:06:00
By Chen Si, Yichang International Communication Studio
A team from Hubei Institute of Geosciences has found two rare ancient animal fossils in Yuan’an County, the Hubei Geological Bureau announced yesterday. The discovery will help to significantly narrow down the living period of an ancient reptile previously found in the province.
A research team led by the institute’s Dr. Wu Kui has found conical conodont fossils from the Early Triassic strata in Yuan’an. This is the first time this fossil type has been found in China. The results were published in “Geological Journal,” an international journal in the field of geosciences.
Conodont fossils are tiny and tooth-like, coming from an extinct group of agnathan (jawless) vertebrates, resembling eels. The animals are also referred to as Conodontophora (conodont bearers) to avoid ambiguity.
Conodont fossils are widely used as indicator fossils to define and identify geological periods.
The Early Triassic is about 250 million years ago, which is an important period to study the migration of terrestrial animals into the sea, as well as the recovery and evolution of ancient marine life.
Previously, Early Triassic conodont fossils of different shapes have been found in many places around the world, but never before in China.
In May 2021, Dr. Wu discovered other types of conodont fossils in the Early Triassic strata in the Yuan'an area for the first time, and the conical conodont fossils were found at the end of 2021.
Dr. Wu said two conical fossils were found this time, resembling the teeth of lampreys, both of which were single tooth fossils, less than one millimeter in size. Other different types of fossils were found, mostly in branch or spine shapes.
This discovery is additionally important for determining the age of the “Hupeisuchians,” meaning “crocodile from Hubei.” It is an order of diapsid reptiles closely related to the ichthyosaurs. The order gets its name from Hubei Province, China, from which many specimens have been found.
Previously, scientists generally believed that the "Hupeisuchians" appeared in the Early Triassic period, but the range of years was unknown. The discovery of the conical conodont fossils has narrowed its living time to between 248 and 247 million years ago.
A team from Hubei Institute of Geosciences has found two rare ancient animal fossils in Yuan’an County, the Hubei Geological Bureau announced yesterday. The discovery will help to significantly narrow down the living period of an ancient reptile previously found in the province.
A research team led by the institute’s Dr. Wu Kui has found conical conodont fossils from the Early Triassic strata in Yuan’an. This is the first time this fossil type has been found in China. The results were published in “Geological Journal,” an international journal in the field of geosciences.
Conodont fossils are tiny and tooth-like, coming from an extinct group of agnathan (jawless) vertebrates, resembling eels. The animals are also referred to as Conodontophora (conodont bearers) to avoid ambiguity.
Conodont fossils are widely used as indicator fossils to define and identify geological periods.
The Early Triassic is about 250 million years ago, which is an important period to study the migration of terrestrial animals into the sea, as well as the recovery and evolution of ancient marine life.
Previously, Early Triassic conodont fossils of different shapes have been found in many places around the world, but never before in China.
In May 2021, Dr. Wu discovered other types of conodont fossils in the Early Triassic strata in the Yuan'an area for the first time, and the conical conodont fossils were found at the end of 2021.
Dr. Wu said two conical fossils were found this time, resembling the teeth of lampreys, both of which were single tooth fossils, less than one millimeter in size. Other different types of fossils were found, mostly in branch or spine shapes.
This discovery is additionally important for determining the age of the “Hupeisuchians,” meaning “crocodile from Hubei.” It is an order of diapsid reptiles closely related to the ichthyosaurs. The order gets its name from Hubei Province, China, from which many specimens have been found.
Previously, scientists generally believed that the "Hupeisuchians" appeared in the Early Triassic period, but the range of years was unknown. The discovery of the conical conodont fossils has narrowed its living time to between 248 and 247 million years ago.
