Scientists have for the first time confirmed the discovery of a rare species of animal that ruled the world way before dinosaurs roamed the planet.

Aetosaurs, a heavily armoured cousin of modern crocodiles, were found in different shapes and sizes before they went extinct 200 million years ago. A new study focussed on the aetosaur's suit of armour, which has most of its major parts intact, has revealed new details about this ancient creature.

“We have elements from the back of the neck and shoulder region all the way to the tip of the tail. Usually, you find very limited material,” William Reyes, a doctoral student at the UT Jackson School of Geosciences, said in a statement.

The team of researchers used this rare suit to identify the specimen as a new aetosaur species — which they named Garzapelta muelleri. While the name “Garza” recognizes Garza County in northwest Texas, where the aetosaur was found, “Pelta” is Latin for shield.

The animal resembles the modern-day crocodile and lived over 200 million years ago. The study, published in The Anatomical Record, reveals that the bony plates are embedded directly in the skin and form a suit of armour by fitting together like a mosaic. Garzapelta’s sides were flanked by curved spikes that would have offered another layer of protection from predators.

Garzapelta's spikes, similar to another aetosaur species, surprised researchers by their distant relation. This illustrates convergent evolution, where similar traits arise independently.

Flight development across insects, birds, mammals, and extinct pterosaurs exemplifies this. Unique features distinguish Garzapelta as a new species, from plate assembly to bone ridges.

Placement within the aetosaur family tree posed challenges for researchers as the species had varying armour emphasis. Its back armour resembled one species, while its midsection spikes resembled another.

Understanding independent spike evolution aided Garzapelta's classification. Reyes notes the complexity introduced by convergent evolution, emphasising the intricate nature of evolutionary studies.

It is worth mentioning that Aetosaurs fossils have been found on every continent except Antarctica and Australia.

Source: indiatoday