Irish palaeontologists from University College Cork have solved the mystery of a 280-million-year-old lizard fossil that has baffled researchers for decades. They discovered that what they had been dealing with all along was not what it seemed. The article was published in the scientific journal magazine Paleontology.
Fossils of the Tridentinosaurus antiquus species were found in the Italian Alps in 1931. The specimen was considered an important milestone in understanding the evolution of early reptiles. Experts noted the unusual preservation of soft tissues. However, the latest discovery showed that what they thought was animal skin was actually a layer of paint.
“Fossil soft tissues are rare, but when found in fossils they can reveal important biological information such as external colouration, internal anatomy and physiology. The answers to all our questions were before us, and we had to examine this fossil specimen in detail to reveal even its secrets that we might not want to know,” said Dr. . Valentina Rossi.
The fraud was revealed by microscopic analysis, which showed that the texture and composition of the material did not match real soft tissue.
The results suggest that the body contours of Tridentinosaurus antiquus were artificially created, possibly improving the fossil’s appearance. This deception misled previous researchers. It is still unclear who exactly covered the find with paint.
But all is not lost, and the fossil is not entirely fake. The bones of the hind limbs, especially the femurs, appear to be real, although poorly preserved. What’s more, new analyzes revealed the presence of tiny bone scales called osteoderms, which resemble crocodile scales, that may have been on the animal’s back.
Paleontologists before accidentally Discovered a new species of ancient sharks that were the ocean’s top predators 65 million years ago.