Era of the Super-Piranha Dinosaurs Terrassed from the Jurassic Seas

A piranha-like fish, its mouth full of sharp teeth (some even descending from the roof of its mouth), swam once in the Jurassic seas, tearing the flesh or even the fins of the bodies of other aquatic creatures.

That was 152 million years ago, revealed a new study on a creature fossil discovered in Germany. At that time, pterodactyls flew in the skies and stegosaurs and brontosaurs roamed the Earth. Scientists discovered the specimen in 2016 in the same limestone deposits of the southern German countryside that produced fossils of Archeopteryx, long considered the first known bird.

At the time when this fish lived, the area in which it was swimming "was occupied by a shallow tropical sea dotted with small sun-drenched islands, covered with a probably sparse vegetation of ferns and cycads on which lived exotic animals – many insects, lizards, small dinosaurs and the early bird ArcheopteryxAccording to Live Science, Martina Kölbl-Ebert, lead author of Vertebrate Paleontologists and Director of the Jura Museum in Eichstätt, Germany, said: "In the sea, there were reefs of sponges and small coral reefs. There were many species of invertebrates, such as crustaceans, but also many fish and marine reptiles. " [Photos: The Freakiest-Looking Fish]

After carefully clearing the fossil 2.8 inches long (7.1 centimeters) from its rock jail with the help of scalpels, needles and a microscope, the scientists discovered that He had long pointed teeth in front of the upper and lower jaws. . These teeth also appeared on the outside of the vomer, a bone forming the roof of the mouth. In addition, triangular teeth with sharp sawtooth edges rose from the bones along the lower jaw.

The pattern and shape of the teeth and jaws suggest that this fish was equipped to slice flesh or fins in a manner surprisingly similar to modern piranhas, the study said. The researchers named this fish Piranhamesodon pinnatomuswith Piranhamesodon referring to the piranha nature of the creature and pinnatomus which means "fin cup".

Paleontologists have also discovered fish fossils Piranhamesodon may have hunted; these animals had pieces of tissue missing from their fins.

"This is an astonishing parallel with modern piranhas, who do not feed primarily on flesh but on [on] the fins of other fish, "said in a statement the co-author of the study, David Bellwood, of James Cook University, Australia." It's a remarkably smart gesture, while the fins push back, [making them] a neat renewable resource. Feed a fish, and he is dead; nibble its fins, and you have food for the future. "

Previously, bone fish – fish whose skeletons are made of bone – were not known to bite pieces of flesh or fins from prey before a much later period of time. evolution, Kölbl-Ebert said. Instead, it was thought that they were crunching invertebrates or that they were swallowing their entire prey. (It has long been known that sharks bite pieces of prey flesh, but their skeletons were made of cartilage and not bone.)

"New[found] The fish is a very interesting example of convergent evolution, evolving – for bone fish, then – a completely new way of life, "said Kölbl-Ebert." Fish represents the oldest record for fin feeding in bony fish. "(The converging evolution occurs when two different animals evolve similarly to solve similar problems, such as the way dolphins and ancient marine reptiles known as ichthyosaurs had a similar silhouette to help them swim quickly in the water.)

Piranhamesodon belongs to a group of fish called pycnodontidae. "Normally, all fish in this group of fish have striking teeth at the front and button-shaped buds in the back, which are suitable for crushing sea snails, sea urchins or other organisms. to shell, "said Kölbl-Ebert. "But this one had daggers and scissors in his mouth.This was a real sheepskin wolf."

This discovery "highlights the evolutionary flexibility of fish," said Kölbl-Ebert. "If a fish with highly specialized grinding teeth can develop highly specialized cutting teeth, what is the next step? This is a staggering example of versatility and evolutionary opportunism."

The fossil is now exhibited at the Jura Museum in Germany. Scientists detailed their findings online Oct. 18 in the journal Current Biology.

Originally posted on Live Science.