As everyone knows, there were many different types of dinosaurs on earth in ancient times. These gigantic creatures, which are still being discovered today, were of course not the only living species that lived at that time. There are fossils of ancestors of many species that are now extinct, as well as living things that are still alive.
Paleontologists, who are constantly studying to discover new species, recently found the remains of a lizard from the Jurassic period. The most exciting part of this discovery is that the lizard found is a relative of the Tuatara, also known as the “king of lizards”.
(The Tuatara lizard is also the source of the name for the SSC Tuatara, the most popular supercar ever produced by SSC.)
Like the Tuatara, he can have a 3rd eye
This lizard, named Opisthiamimus gregori, is exactly 150 million years old in carbon tests. Although this lizard is not as complex as its close relative, the Tuatara, the differences between these two species reveal a huge evolution of 150 million years, according to paleontologists.
One of the most important points of the discovery of this lizard is that it can shed light on the entire family family tree. The common family tree of the Tuatara and Opisthiamimus gregori disappeared for an unknown reason hundreds of millions of years ago, leaving only the Tuatara of the entire family. The Tuatara lizard, which belongs to a different species from the lizard we know, is born with a third eye on the top of its head, and this eye is covered with an opaque skin during the first 4-5 months of its development. According to the researchers, it is quite possible that Opisthiamimus gregori also had this eye. Likewise, the teeth of both the Tuatara and Opisthiamimus gregori are fixed to the jawbone, just like snakes, and can only appear at will.
“They may have been defeated by other lizards”
Matthew Carrano, a member of the team that discovered Opisthiamimus gregori, which belongs to the Rhynchocephalia family, said: “The most likely reason for the complete extinction of the Rhynchocephalia lineage is that they were unable to fight the lizards we see and know today and were fed to other predators. may occur and disappear by natural selection. Tuatara, on the other hand, may be the last survivor of this species, as it is the strongest member of its lineage.” He said that other members of Rhynchocephalia may not be as strong as the Tuatara.
Paleontologists have yet to reveal some information about this creature, as they have not yet completed their research on Opisthiamimus gregori. However, according to a statement, all the bones of the lizard were separated from the fossil mold without any problems and were transported to the laboratory for analysis.
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