Chilean scientists have successfully recovered one of the fossils of Pisces Reptile The most complete in the world, with intact embryos, on the Tyndall Glacier in the Chilean Patagonia region.
ancient marine reptiles Preserved and pregnant was given the nickname “Fiona” by scientists. 4m long fossil will help team study embryonic development ichthyosaurs that roamed the seas Between 250 and 90 million years ago.
According to the scientist who discovered it, Judith Pardo, the fossil “is the only pregnant ichthyosaur Which was found on the planet between 139 million and 129 million years old.” “So it’s incredibly important,” he said.
Pardo, a paleontologist at the Gaia Antarctic Research Center at Magellan University, discovered the fossil more than a decade ago, but the site’s extreme weather, rugged terrain and distance made extraction a complex logistical challenge.
Scientists spent 31 days extracting the fossil, which had to be taken from the site by helicopter. Because the fossil was so complete, paleontologists said they would have to remove five blocks weighing 200 kilograms to keep the bones intact.
The fossil is being prepared for display at the Rio Seco Natural History Museum in southern Chile.
Pardo said scientists also discovered 23 specimens of ichthyosaurs during the expedition, bringing the total found on Tyndall Glacier to about 100 and making the region one of the hottest sites in the world. ichthyosaurs Most abundant and best preserved on the planet.
Translated by Luiz Roberto M. Gonsalves
