when we talk fossils The first thing that comes to mind usually corresponds to the discovery of dinosaur remains. The reality is that we rarely stop to think that before these creatures, many more diverse species existed in the world.
But now Spain has been the scene of one of the most curious discoveries in this respect. As a series of fossils of various extinct species have been accidentally found in the middle of a public works work.
Wherein, the most striking thing about the discovery is that it would be the remains of creatures that existed before the dinosaurs, which are much older and therefore more valuable from a scientific point of view.
What is the academic relevance and for science of finding such ancient remains? The answer is simple: these types of remains are important for better understanding the evolution of species.
Fossils found in a quarry in Spain are not dinosaurs
According to a comprehensive report by colleagues from very interesting spainThe construction of this highway, on the N-350 Algeciras highway, in the south of that European country, was the lucky trigger for construction workers to find a series of ancient fossils.
A group of paleontologists specialized in this case, led by María del Carmen Lozano from the Department of Ecology and Geology of the University of Malaga, and David Gestoso, an archaeologist from the company ASTARTÉ – Estudio de Arqueología, are already studying the remains.
Where the pieces found would date back to the era of dinosaurs, a trend that has been observed within the area in recent times with the most recent findings being:
“We are encountering a unique Triassic outcrop in Andalusia, with an exceptional degree of preservation compared to those seen in the Iberian Peninsula, corresponding to this period, which is located before the time of the great dinosaurs.”
Earlier studies suggested that the remains would be 230 to 200 million years old. The layer with fossils from the Triassic period would have been originally composed of molluscs.
So everything indicates that millions of years ago there was an inland sea in that area. This theory is supported by the previous discovery of other marine species in the area.
