Latest news with #reptiles
ABC News
2 hours ago
- Science
- ABC News
Triassic reptile's bizarre crest shakes up feather evolution theories
Mammals these days have hair, birds have feathers, and reptiles have neither. But the relative nakedness of today's reptiles may not have been the case 247 million years ago, when at least one reptile species appeared to be quite experimental with its embellishments. That's according to fossils of a creature that lived at the beginning of the Triassic period and sported a curious crest running down its spine. The crest, while feather-like, pre-dates feathers by millions of years. A new study published in Nature has described the crested reptile, which was dubbed Mirasaura grauvogeli. Stephan Spiekman, study lead author and a researcher at the State Museum of Natural History in Stuttgart, Germany, said he was fascinated by the creature's complex appendages — particularly since it didn't belong to the group of animals that eventually grew feathers. "Mirasaura was a type of reptile that was very different from dinosaurs and their close relatives," Dr Spiekman said. Stephen Poropat, a palaeontologist at Curtin University who wasn't involved with the research, called the fossils an "extraordinary" find. The Mirasaura fossils were discovered by French palaeontologist Louis Grauvogel in the 1930s in north-eastern France. He found rocks containing small reptilian skeletons, alongside fan-like depressions made from plumes up to 15 centimetres long. Professor Grauvogel thought the mysterious fans were fish fins or insect wings, and didn't connect them to the reptilian skeletons found in the same fossils. In 2019, decades after his death, Professor Grauvogel's collection was acquired by the museum in nearby Stuttgart, and researchers realised that 80 of the fossils belonged to the same animal. The researchers named the creature Mirasaura grauvogeli, which means "Grauvogel's wondrous reptile". But they couldn't immediately tell what the mysterious crests on the creatures' backs were made of. "It was clear pretty quickly that these appendages were not feathers or hairs in the traditional sense," Dr Spiekman said. The team used a number of techniques, including powerful X-rays and electron microscopes, to reconstruct what the creature looked like and figure out the composition of the crests. They discovered remnants of tiny cells called "melanosomes" preserved in the fossil crests, which make the colours in hair, skin and feathers. The melanosomes were shaped similarly to those found in feathers, Dr Spiekman said. "This could indicate that the tissue that they are composed of is quite similar to that of feathers." But the appendages were clearly different to feathers: they didn't have any of the key branching features feathers develop as they grow. "This shows that the structures grew in a largely different way than feathers," Dr Spiekman said. Anatomical analyses of the reptile's skeleton also showed that it belonged to a different group of reptiles to the one that eventually became the dinosaurs. John Long, a palaeontologist at Flinders University who wasn't involved in the research, said that the existence of Mirasaura has profound implications for understanding how feathers and skin evolved. "Prior to this discovery, it was thought that only birds and dinosaurs evolved feather-like structures, and mammals modified those feather-like structures to develop hair," Professor Long said. "This is a third group of animals yet discovered that actually have feather-like structures as part of their skin." Dr Poropat said the discovery helped explain another highly controversial fossil find from a similar time period, called Longisquama insignis. The extinct Longisquama reptile, which was discovered more than 50 years ago, also had feather-like appendages, but its fossils weren't preserved well enough to identify them properly. This led to fierce debates about whether or not the Longisquama reptile had real feathers. "The finding of Mirasaura demonstrates Longisquama's structures are not feathers, because the Mirasaura reptile's are very similar and they're not feathers either," Dr Poropat said. "I'm quite relieved to see that Longisquama finally has a home." The researchers believe the reptiles used the crest to communicate with each other. "It seems most likely that it was used for signalling to other members of the same species, either to attract a mate, or to warn off a competitor, or both," Dr Spiekman said. Professor Long said that we can only speculate about the crest's function, but he agreed that communication was a likely reason. "Certainly today, visual signalling is incredibly important for birds and for many reptiles," he said. Dr Poropat pointed out the Mirasaura reptile lived a few million years after the catastrophic Permian mass extinction. This may have favoured the evolution of more bizarre behaviours and body structures because there was less competition. "The animals that did survive that extinction event were basically free to experiment with all sorts of different modes of life." While the Mirasaura reptile isn't a precursor to the dinosaurs, its existence suggests that other Triassic creatures could also have had strange features that haven't survived fossilisation. "Because soft tissue is so seldom preserved, we are getting an incomplete picture of the past almost inevitably," Dr Poropat said.
BBC News
2 days ago
- General
- BBC News
'Mystery' reptiles delay school opening in Wales
The opening of a new school building in Wales has been delayed by two years thanks to some mystery slithery creatures living at the site. Ysgol Gymraeg Bro Ogwrwas, a Welsh-medium school (that means all the lessons are taught in Welsh) in Brackla, Bridgend, was meant to move to a new location this September, but that has now been pushed back until September 2027. The council said "the presence of reptiles at the new site has caused a delay to the completion of the ecology work". That means checking how animals, plants and nature might be affected by building the new school. The council hasn't said which reptiles are on the site, but they're likely to be either slow-worms, grass snakes, adders or common lizards which are often found in areas of the UK and are protected by law. Conservative South Wales West Senedd member Altaf Hussain said the delay was "devastating news for parents in Bridgend who wish for their children to learn through the medium of Welsh".Education Secretary Lynne Neagle from the Welsh government called the delay "regrettable" and said £500,000 had been provided for expansion of the existing school, with two temporary classroom buildings from this new school building has cost £18.6 million with room for 525 children aged four to 11. For now children at the school will have to stay put and the reptiles will soon be rehomed. A spokesman for Bridgend County Borough Council told the BBC: "The relocation of the reptiles is expected to take place over the coming summer period and further site investigation works will then be able to take place following the removal of the remaining scrub and brambles."
BBC News
6 days ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Mystery reptiles delay new Welsh school opening in Bridgend
The opening of a new school has been delayed by two years because reptiles have been found on the Gymraeg Bro Ogwr, a Welsh medium school in Brackla, Bridgend, was due to move to a new location nearby this September but the council has put back the opening date to September council said "the presence of reptiles at the new site has caused a delay to the completion of the ecology work" but is not yet revealing which particular cold-blooded creatures have been animals, who will be found a new home over the summer, are likely to be slow-worms, grass snakes, adders, or South Wales West Senedd member Altaf Hussain said the delay was "devastating news for parents in Bridgend who wish for their children to learn through the medium of Welsh".Education Secretary Lynne Neagle called the later opening "regrettable" and said £500,000 had been provided for temporary expansion on the current site. Of the UK's six native reptile species, four have been found to be living in Bridgend county borough. These are:the slow-worm (anguis fragilis)grass snakes (natrix natrix)adder or European viper (vipera berus)the common or viviparous lizard (zootoca vivipara) The move to the larger site is expected to cost around £18.6m, with 525 places expected for children aged four to 11 as well as a 90-place said in the Senedd the extra places are "much needed in the local area" and that the delay is "devastating news".Neagle responded that the Welsh government is "working with the local authority to mitigate the impact of that on young people".She said this includes providing funding of nearly £500,000 to allow the short-term expansion of Ysgol Gymraeg Bro Ogwr, with two temporary classroom buildings from this September. 'Relocation of the reptiles' A spokesman for Bridgend County Borough Council told the BBC: "We remain focused on progressing school modernisation plans for a replacement Ysgol Gymraeg Bro Ogwr but the presence of reptiles at the new site has caused a delay to the completion of the ecology work."With this in mind and following consultation with the school's governing body, our cabinet recently approved a new opening date of September 2027. "The relocation of the reptiles is expected to take place over the coming summer period and further site investigation works will then be able to take place following the removal of the remaining scrub and brambles."Planning and architectural design work is continuing to take place and we look forward to providing further updates in the coming months."
Daily Mail
12-07-2025
- Daily Mail
Insiders reveal the horrifying fate of 'Alligator Alcatraz' inmates who tried to escape... and the hell inside
The new 'Alligator Alcatraz' detention center has been billed as the ultimate deterrent for those attempting to enter the US illegally. But now reports from inside the facility suggest that its remote location and proximity to deadly reptiles are not the only things inmates should be concerned about.
Washington Post
10-07-2025
- General
- Washington Post
Miss Manners: Parent's phobia means couple can't host
Dear Miss Manners: My boyfriend and I share an apartment, and also share two pet snakes. These are not large reptiles, and are kept in very secure glass tanks behind closed doors. We understand that many people are not comfortable with reptiles, so we never let them roam around the apartment. If we have company, we never bring our pets out or even open the door to that room; they stay completely out of sight. We would never presume to force anyone to interact in the slightest with an animal that caused them anxiety.
