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HomeGadgetsScientists suspect newly discovered mosasaur fossil is a fake

Scientists suspect newly discovered mosasaur fossil is a fake


In 2021, scientists identified a new mosasaur species upon the discovery of a Cretaceous-period jawbone containing unusual teeth in a Moroccan mine. There’s only one problem – the remains may be counterfeit.

Researchers in Canada have cast doubt on the authenticity of a fossil used to identify and describe a new species of extinct marine reptile. Xenodens calaminechariIn 2021. Their analysis, detailed in December 16 Study published in The Anatomical Recordexposes inconsistencies within previous research And calls for a new CT scan of the jaw to confirm its validity.

If their suspicions prove true, it “must be established in the published literature that this is a fake,” said Henry Sharp of the University of Alberta, who led the recent study. biology,

Mosasaur They were large marine lizards during the Cretaceous period (145.5 million to 66 million years ago) and were among the apex predators of the oceans, with some reaching up to 56 feet (17 m) in length. Researchers of a 2021 study identified the new mosasaur species based in part on four sharp teeth found on an incomplete jawbone, which was dated to 72.1 to 66 million years ago, and was found in a Moroccan phosphate mine.

Nicholas R. of the University of Bath “The new mosasaurid exhibits a dental battery (dental arrangement) consisting of numerous small, tiny, blade-like teeth packed together to form a saw-like cutting edge,” the researchers, led by Longrich, wrote. 2021 study. He claimed that this was the first such arrangement of teeth discovered in tetrapods (four-limbed vertebrates), and it was this hypothesis that inspired Sharp and his colleagues to take a closer look.

Two of the teeth reportedly left X. calaminechari The jaw sits within a single tooth socket – this feature differs from the arrangement of most other known mosasaur teeth and jaws, in which each tooth grows in its own socket. Michael Caldwell of the University of Alberta, who also contributed to the new study, explained that mosasaur tooth sockets evolved from the bone of individual teeth, as opposed to jaw bone. This means that each tooth must have its own socket.

“Every time one of these teeth resorbs and falls out, there is a large cavity left. And that’s because the next tooth is coming into that hole to rebuild all that tissue so that it stays firmly in place in the jaw,” he told Live Science. Additionally, according to the study, Sharp’s team suggests the presence of “potential adhesive material” and argues that the characteristic overlap of one type of tissue on two teeth is unusual and may indicate counterfeiting.

The fossil’s unusual dental arrangement and tissue overlap. © Sharp et. Al.

In addition to the teeth, the jaw was discovered in the Khouribga province of Morocco under potentially suspicious circumstances, as the fossil was “obtained non-scientifically (without technical supervision) from an area of ​​Morocco where many manipulated or forged specimens are found.” Are,” he wrote. the study.

The researchers ultimately suggested that the tooth and jaw may have belonged to two different creatures, although a CT scan of the remains could resolve any doubts. It remains to be seen whether researchers will be able to implement this technology X. calaminechari fossils in the near future—or convince others to do so. For now, if you come across any quotes of a new mosasaur with strange teeth, proceed with caution!





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