Researchers were able to find a previously unknown reptile species from roughly 237 million years ago.
This ancient species discovery is considered "extremely rare."
Previously Unknown Crocodile-Like Species Found
The reptile is believed to have lived during the Triassic Period, around 237 million years ago. Its remains were discovered in Linha Várzea 2, a fossil-rich site in Paraíso do Sul municipality in southern Brazil.
The discovery was made by Pedro Lucas Porcela Aurélio, an amateur paleontologist.
The predatory ancient reptile, named Parvosuchus aurelioi, was found with a partial skeleton. This included a full skull, some partially preserved limbs, and 11 vertebrae.
After the reptile's discovery, its remains were brought to the Federal University of Santa Maria's (UFSM) Paleontology Research Center in Brazil. The specimen was then prepared and examined by Rodrigo Müller, a paleontologist.
Such investigations led to the new species' description. The reptile was described in the "A new small-sized predatory pseudosuchian archosaur from the Middle-Late Triassic of Southern Brazil" study.
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Newfound Ancient Crocodile-Like Species
Müller noted that the remains of the species were covered by a thick rock layer. Only some vertebrae portions could be seen at first glance.
He shares that he began the process of preparation with the help of pneumatic hammers and acid solutions. During this stage, some cranium parts surfaced from the rock, revealing a full skull.
As he took a rock layer away slowly, a portion of the species' orbital rim got exposed.
The species is part of an animal group called pseudosuchians, which are a group of reptiles that are more related to crocodiles compared to modern reptiles. Pseudosuchians that are alive today are restricted to crocodiles, alligators, and gharials. However, in the past, the reptile group had higher diversity.
Presuosuchians are part of a wider group called archosaurs that covers dinosaurs. However, they do not share close relations with dinosaurs.
This group of reptiles had also achieved evolutionary success before dinosaur origins. However, they may have suffered diversity loss during the emergence of dinosaurs around 230 to 240 million years ago.
Before dinosaurs gained dominance, pseudosuchians were common reptiles in the Triassic Period, which took place roughly 201 to 252 million years ago. Some of their species were the largest carnivores back then.
However, there were also smaller pseudosuchians, called gracilisuchids, that lived with these top predators.
The study noted that Parvosuchus aurelioi is a gracilisuchid species and that it serves as a representation of the first unequivocal group member found in Brazil.
The presence of gracilisuchids in the fossil record is extremely rare, which makes this discovery quite significant. Previously, there were only three known gracilisuchid species.
What makes things more notable is that P. aurelioi is the first group species to be described in over 20 years.
The species' skull spans roughly five inches in length. It also features jaws that are slender and long and that have pointed teeth curving back. Its skeleton also has a light built.
Müller thinks that the animal was roughly 6.5 feet long back when it still lived. This length may have included its lengthy tail. It could have also towered at 0.8 feet at the hip.
The creature could have stood on four legs with the adaptation to walk on land. As for its diet, the creature had blade-like teeth, which were adapted for tearing flesh. It also had a skeleton that was lightly built, which showed that it could have been an agile hunter.
P. aurelioi also had shared environments with dicynodonts, which are massive herbivores that are distant relatives of mammals. Prehistoric reptiles used to hunt such herbivores.
The discovery stresses pseudosuchia diversity during the Triassic period. It also sheds light on the Earth's prehistoric ecosystems before dinosaurs dominated.
RELATED ARTICLE: 72-Million-Year-Old New Species of Prehistoric Fish Discovered From Suspected Dinosaur Skin Fossil
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