Fossils in Mallorca: ancient predator discovered in front of dinosaurs!

Fossils in Mallorca: ancient predator discovered in front of dinosaurs!

Banyalbufar, Spanien - recent discoveries in Mallorca throw a new light on the prehistoric wildlife of the Balearic Islands. Spanish researchers have discovered fossils of a predator that had not yet been named who lived over 270 million years ago - long before the dinosaurs conquered the earth. These finds, which were made in the Tramuntana Mountains near the municipality of Banyalbufar, are significant because they represent the oldest known detection of a Gorgonopsides. This group is considered direct ancestors of the mammals, but itself no mammals. They showed characteristics that are reminiscent of modern dogs, such as vertical legs and saber tooth -like canine teeth, but they lacked fur and ears, reported Welt.de .

fossil finds and hunting behavior

The site exceeded the expectations of the scientists in relation to the number of bones discovered. In addition to a well -preserved thigh bone, they were able to identify fragments of skulls, swirls and ribs. The finds indicate that the animal was a quick hunter, which is supported by the strongly pronounced corner tooth. The researchers also found information on his prey - including the herbivorous reptiles of the Captorhinidae family, who lived in the region at the time, such as watson.de

The researchers emphasize the unusuality of the site in Mallorca. While Gorgonopsides are usually found in colder regions such as Russia or South Africa, the surrounding area of ​​the Balearic Islands was in a warm climate 250 million years ago near the equator. This raises new questions about the spread and survival of these animals, since they lived in a completely different ecological environment than previously assumed.