Ukhta, Russia
Fossils of a 372-million-year-old, early
tetrapod called Parmastega aelidae, with a
crocodile-like skull and eyes positioned high on its head, were discovered near
Ukhta, Russia, suggesting an aquatic, surface-cruising lifestyle.
These fossils come from the Sosnogorsk
Formation, a limestone formed in a tropical coastal lagoon, which is now
exposed on the banks of the Izhma River.
These fossils aren’t mere fragments—when the
limestone was dissolved with acetic acid, perfectly preserved bones from the
head and shoulder girdle were revealed, piecing together into a
three-dimensional reconstruction of the animal (by far the earliest for any
tetrapod).
Tetrapods are the group of animals which made
the evolutionary transition from water to land, ultimately becoming the
ancestors of amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals.
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