New Delhi: It was estimated that the animal became extinct from the face of the earth millions of years ago. But then, researchers discovered the fossils of that creature in the UK’s Norwich and Belgium’s Antwerp. Experts have identified them as belonging to a newly described species of extinct marine carnivore which resembles the walrus of today’s age. It is helping researchers to trace the evolutionary journey of walruses and also enabling them to understand how marine life has adapted through the ages.
Who made the discovery?
Led by Dr Mathieu Boisville of Japan’s University of Tsukuba, a team of palaeontologists made the astonishing discovery which is helping them to trace the evolutionary journey of walruses and is also challenging the conventional notion of marine life adaptation through the ages.
What is the species discovered?
According to the research paper published in ‘PeerJ Life & Environment’, the newly described species of an extinct marine carnivore has been named Ontocetus posti and it may have the unique suction feeding method of walruses. Initially, the fossils were thought to have belonged to another species named Ontocetus emmonsi.
However, it has some distinct features including four post-canine teeth, a larger lower canine, and a fused, short mandibular symphysis which make it different from other creatures. It is believed that it was around 5 million years ago in the North Pacific Ocean that the Ontocetus genus originated and it later spread to the Atlantic during the Mio-Pliocene transition facilitated by the Central American Seaway, a crucial oceanic passage that once connected the two great oceans. The remains of these animals have been found in the seashore of the United States and also along the coast and seabed of the North Sea.
Why did Ontocetus posti become extinct?
During the Late Pliocene, the climate of the Earth cooled and the Central American Seaway closed. These factors led to significant changes in marine environments and most possibly led to the extinction of Ontocetus posti during the Early Pleistocene. Once this species disappeared, the cold-adapted modern walrus, Odobenus rosmarus, began to rise and continues to thrive in the Arctic to date.
How is this discovery significant?
This discovery not only gives the researchers important insights into walruses’s evolution but also highlights how changes in the environment shaped the survival and adaptation of marine mammals. It sheds light on the manifold evolutionary processes that occur in different eras and environments. It will help experts understand the complex evolution which has resulted in the development of marine mammal species that we see today and the role of the environment in it.
The historical evolutionary process is important to understand in an era of climate change and global warming and the knowledge derived from this discovery could be significant in shaping the conservation efforts for existing species. Also, it may enable scientists to predict the response of marine life to ongoing and future changes in the conditions of the oceans.
Researchers discovered the fossils of that creature in the UK’s Norwich and Belgium’s Antwerp. Experts have identified them as belonging to a newly described species of extinct marine carnivore which resembles the walrus of today’s age. knowledge Knowledge News, Photos and Videos on General Knowledge
