Title: Exceptional Fossil Fish Reveals New Evolutionary Mechanism for Body Elongation
Author: Story materials provided University Zurich
Topic: Marine Science Fish Fossil
Date of Article: October 7, 2013
Author: Story materials provided University Zurich
Topic: Marine Science Fish Fossil
Date of Article: October 7, 2013
A fish fossil was discovered on October 7
called Saurichthys curionii. A group of paleontologists from University Zurich by Professor Marcelo Sánchez-Villagra leaks out about
an early evolution before of mechanism of axial skeleton elongation in an
unscathed form. It is different from other elongate body fish because
Saurichthys curionii has not just one but two vertebral arch per myomeric
segment making it one of a kind. Saurichthys curionii has a elongate body that
gives it an image all together elongate. Erin Maxwell, a postdoc from
Sánchez-Villagra's group explains how it has a new elongation evolution
pattern. The fossils studied came from Monte San Giorgio find in Ticino,
a world heritage site by UNESCO in 2003. The researchers really owe a thanks to
be able to find their fossils, tendons, and muscles of the primitive predatory
fish which were complete and undamaged by luck. Thanks to the well preserved
tendons and muscles the scientist were able to conclude some ideas of Saurichthys curionii's
flexibility and swimming abilities. Maxwell stated
how Saurichthys curionii's are probably not as flexible as modern eels now and it isn't similar to tuna fish as well. Though it can be similar to
needle fishes or gar fishes these days.
how Saurichthys curionii's are probably not as flexible as modern eels now and it isn't similar to tuna fish as well. Though it can be similar to
needle fishes or gar fishes these days.
I chose this article, because I wanted to learn about the past fossils as I saw in the title. I wanted to also learn the how much gap there is between the past elongation fish fossils and today's fish fossils. I found how it interesting how the Saurichthys curionii's have two vertebral arch but the current fishes/eels don't have two but one. Though it is due to evolution and maybe it is more adaptable to the fishes/eels now to have one because of the environment. The Saurichthys curionii's fossil remind me of how dinosaurs had fossils too. Also how we compare the similarities of the dinosaur fossils with the current animals. Fossils do mean a lot, because it is like history of the past and we can learn from it to compare the similarities from today.
I think that the scientists and the group researchers will find the next type of fish mechanism that is related to the Saurichthys curionii by fossil, muscle, or tendons. They might also be able to find what type of specie it is, belongs in, or relates to. The researcher group or scientist might be able to figure out why the Saurichthys curioniis have two vertebral arch during it's time instead of just one like now that most fishes/eels have. They possibly could create a visual image of it based on the unscathed fossils, tendons, and muscles. I found this article significant in it's own way, because it gives me ideas on how fossils can determine many things as how the environment was in the past, the specie's behavior, flexibility, it's predators, and etc.