University of Alberta paleontologists discovered a new species of marine lizard that lived 70 to 75 million years ago, with its muscle and skin remarkably well preserved.
The fossil is a dolichosaur, a marine lizard related to snakes and mosasaurs. Called Primitivus manduriensis, it was found in Puglia, Italy, and named after the local Manduria variety of red wine grape primitivo.
The fossil was discovered in what was once a shallow water environment. After it died, the lizard fell to the bottom and was covered in sediment, safe from the moving water that would otherwise have scattered its remains. And with no apparent predators around to feed on the carcass, it remained largely intact.
“(The marine lizards) are essentially small, long-bodied animals that look like regular lizards with longer necks and tails,” explained PhD student Ilaria Paparella, lead author of the study detailing the discovery. “They have paddle-like hands and feet for swimming but could also move on land.”
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Image via University of Alberta.