Kiev. Ukraine. Ukraine Gate – January 16, 2021 – Science
According to scientists, the ancient species managed to survive the mass extinction 252 million years ago.
Traces of a prehistoric crocodile-like reptile that survived the mass extinction 252 million years ago have been found in the Italian Alps. Reported by The Guardian.
A well-preserved fossil footprint of about 10 footprints was found at an altitude of 2,200 meters in the western Alps.
According to scientists, the reptile had claws on its front and hind legs about 30 cm long, and the trail itself was left about 250 million years ago. During this period, the region was poorly habitable as a result of the mass extinction at the end of the Permian geological period.
Judging by the size of the prints and the distance between them, scientists concluded that they belonged to a crocodile-like reptile that roamed the ancient coast near the river delta. Her body length was at least 4 meters.
“The fossil footprints were found in very wet sediments; in which they are well preserved. What is important is the period when the crocodile walked in these places, as it happened right after the mother of all mass extinctions,” says a paleontologist at the Science Museum in Trento Massimo Bernardi.
The extinction was triggered by a sudden rise in temperature, similar to what happens to the planet today. Previously, it was believed that the area, which was located in the equatorial belt, became so inhospitable that the surviving animals migrated to other latitudes.
“The four-meter reptile is proof that the entire ecosystem somehow survived, because it could not do it alone. The reptile did not just walk in the desert – it needed prey, but this prey needed plants, etc.” Bernardi.
Scientists can also use the data obtained to understand what the consequences of the current climate crisis may be.
“We are living in a time of rapid climate change. And the fact how amazing the discovery of surviving species is, underlines how dramatic the consequences of climate change can be,” concluded the paleontologist.