Reptiles

๐Ÿ˜ฎ๐Ÿฆ– Fossils Show How Long-Necked Reptiles Lost Their Heads

โฌ‡๏ธ Pidgin โฌ‡๏ธ โฌ‡๏ธ Black American Slang โฌ‡๏ธ English

Di discovery show say long-necked reptiles, wey dey help some prehistoric animals catch food, bin dey tempt predators. In 1830, Henry De la Beche, one English paleontologist, bin create one painting wey dem call “Duria Antiquior,” na vision of Mesozoic oceans. When e reach time to picture one long-necked marine reptile, e show di throat of di animal wey e put between di jaws of one monstrous Ichthyosaurus. ๐Ÿ˜ฑ๐ŸŒŠ

Almost two centuries don pass and we no see any direct evidence of dat neck wey De la Beche bin dey imagine. But research wey dem publish on Monday for di journal Current Biology don provide gory โ€” and extremely rare โ€” evidence say predators bin dey see di long, stretched necks of reptiles wey dey swim for prehistoric seas as one irresistible target. ๐Ÿ’€๐ŸŠ

Di victim na Tanystropheus, wey get one “completely unique” neck for di fossil record, as Stephan Spiekman, one paleontologist wey dey work for di State Museum of Natural History for Stuttgart, Germany, and na author of di study talk. Di structure โ€” wey make up half of di animal body โ€” dey consist of 13 bizarrely elongated and interlocking vertebrae, wey combine to create one stiff neck like fishing rod. ๐Ÿฆ•๐Ÿ’ช๐ŸŽฃ

“Getting any insight into how these extreme structures functioned with potential weakness and strengths na very important,” Dr. Spiekman talk. Di research wey Dr. Spiekman do during im Ph.D. show say two different species of Tanystropheus โ€” one small, anoda one wey reach almost 20 feet long โ€” bin dey live for shallow lagoons of di Triassic Alps, and most likely dem dey hunt fish from perches on top seafloor. As part of im research, Dr. Spiekman study two specimens from both species, and each one na only head and neck dem get. ๐Ÿ‘ฅ๐Ÿ”ฌ๐Ÿ 

For both animals, “di neck dey broken for di back half,” Dr. Spiekman talk. “Na like when dem snap one broomstick.” ๐Ÿ˜ฎ๐Ÿ”จ

Dr. Spiekman share di specimens with im office mate, Eudald Mujal, one paleontologist wey specialize for analyzing predator-prey interactions for fossils, especially bite marks on top bones. After dem spend one afternoon wit di fossils wey dey rest for Zurich, dem come conclude say di necks don dey bitten apart. ๐Ÿ’”๐Ÿฆด๐Ÿ’ข

“Di broken part of di bones dey look like when person break chicken bone,” Dr. Mujal talk. “Dem break di bone when e still dey fresh, and most likely na when di animal still dey alive.” ๐Ÿ’ฅ๐Ÿ”๐Ÿ’ข

Di team measure di distance between di bite marks for di bigger Tanystropheus and dem compare am with di jaws of various predators wey dey live for di same environment. Di likely suspect na either one large nothosaur โ€” ancestors of plesiosaurs wey resemble seal โ€” or one of di two large, predatory ichthyosaurs, Dr. Mujal talk. Di smaller Tanystropheus fit don suffer attack from one smaller marine reptile or one large fish. ๐Ÿฆˆ๐Ÿข๐ŸŸ

Both animals most likely don receive blow from above, di team come conclude, maybe from one predator wey dey more interested for dem meaty bodies pass dem spindly necks or small heads. “Dem probably dey target di same region of di neck,” Dr. Mujal talk, “far enough from di head to make am hard for di animal to defend itself.” ๐Ÿ’ช๐Ÿšซ๐Ÿฆ–

Tanystropheus na di only marine reptile wey scientists know wey suffer such unceremonious decapitation. Di long necks of plesiosaurs โ€” reptiles wey show face after Tanystropheus go extinct and dey waka till di end of di Mesozoic period โ€” dey consist of many bulky vertebrae, all buried for muscle and blubber, Dr. Mujal talk. Even if dem suffer blow for di neck, “one very thick layer of flesh and skin around di neck mean say predators fit no leave any marks for di vertebrae.” ๐ŸงŸโ€โ™‚๏ธ๐ŸŒŠ๐Ÿ’ช

But even if di long neck dey weak spot for predators, di researchers note say e dey obvious say e be successful evolutionary strategy. Many different groups of fish-eating marine reptiles independently develop elongated necks for over 175 million years. Even Tanystropheus family na one success story, dem spread reach Triassic shores from modern Europe reach China and last for 10 million years. ๐ŸŒ๐Ÿฆ–๐Ÿ“ˆ

“Evolution na game of trade-offs,” Dr. Spiekman talk. “In di long run, di risk of having one long neck dey worth am for dis animal.” ๐Ÿค”๐Ÿฆ–๐Ÿ’ฏ

In oda words, sticking your neck out fit be worth am for di species โ€” even if personally, dem go chop off your head. ๐Ÿ’ช๐Ÿค•๐Ÿฆ–


NOW IN BLACK AMERICAN SLANG

๐Ÿ˜ฎ๐Ÿฆ– Fossils Show How Long-Necked Reptiles Lost They Heads

The discovery suggests that long-necked reptiles, which aided prehistoric creatures in catching food, were tempting targets for predators. In 1830, English paleontologist Henry De la Beche created a painting called “Duria Antiquior,” portraying a vision of Mesozoic oceans. When depicting a long-necked marine reptile, he showed its throat trapped between the jaws of a monstrous Ichthyosaurus. ๐Ÿ˜ฑ๐ŸŒŠ

Fast forward almost two centuries and we still ain’t seen no direct evidence of them neck-bitin’ situations De la Beche was talkin’ ’bout. But check it, some research just dropped in the journal Current Biology, showin’ us some gory โ€” and hella rare โ€” evidence that these predators was eyein’ them long, stretched necks of them swimmin’ reptiles in them prehistoric seas like it was a buffet they couldn’t resist. Talk ’bout ruthless, yo. ๐Ÿ’€๐ŸŠ

The reptile in the hot seat is Tanystropheus, and let me tell you, its neck is “completely unique” in the fossil record, according to my guy Stephan Spiekman, a paleontologist reppin’ the State Museum of Natural History in Stuttgart, Germany, and one of the authors of this study. This structure, takin’ up half of the animal’s body, was made up of 13 wild, elongated and interlockin’ vertebrae, creatin’ a neck as stiff as a fishing rod. Yeah, you heard it right. ๐Ÿฆ•๐Ÿ’ช๐ŸŽฃ

My man Spiekman said, “Gettin’ any insight into how these extreme structures functioned, with all their strengths and weaknesses, is mad important.” He went all in with his doctoral research and found out that there were two different species of Tanystropheus chillin’ in the shallow lagoons of the Triassic Alps, probably huntin’ fish from some fly perches on the seafloor. While he was diggin’ into this research, he got his hands on two specimens from each species, and guess what? All he got was the head and the neck. Talk ’bout a tough break. ๐Ÿ‘ฅ๐Ÿ”ฌ๐Ÿ 

“For both animals, the neck is broken in the back half,” Spiekman dropped the knowledge. “It’s like snappin’ a broomstick.” Man, that’s rough. ๐Ÿ˜ฎ๐Ÿ”จ

Spiekman decided to share these specimens with his office mate, Eudald Mujal, another paleontologist who knows his stuff when it comes to analyzin’ predator-prey interactions in fossils, especially when it comes to bite marks on bones. After a session with these fossils in Zurich, they came to the conclusion that these necks got straight-up bitten apart. Ouch. ๐Ÿ’”๐Ÿฆด๐Ÿ’ข

“The broken parts of the bones look just like when you crack a chicken bone,” my man Mujal said. “These bones were broken while they were fresh, most likely when the animal was still alive.” That’s some brutal action right there. ๐Ÿ’ฅ๐Ÿ”๐Ÿ’ข

So, they measured the distance between them bite marks on the bigger Tanystropheus and compared ’em to the jaws of various predators sharin’ the same crib. It turns out the most likely suspects were either some big nothosaurs, ancestors of plesiosaurs that looked like seals, or one of two big, predatory ichthyosaurs, according to my boy Mujal. The smaller Tanystropheus might’ve gotten attacked by a smaller marine reptile or a big fish. We talkin’ ’bout a tough neighborhood, man. ๐Ÿฆˆ๐Ÿข๐ŸŸ

Both these animals probably got hit from above, the squad concluded. It’s like the predators were more interested in their juicy bodies than their thin necks or small heads. “They were probably targetin’ the same region of the neck,” said Mujal. “Far enough from the head to make it real tough for the animal to defend itself.” That’s just ruthless, man. ๐Ÿ’ช๐Ÿšซ๐Ÿฆ–

Tanystropheus is the only marine reptile known to have suffered such a brutal decapitation. The long necks of the plesiosaurs, the reptiles that came after Tanystropheus went extinct and stuck around till the end of the Mesozoic period, are made up of many strong vertebrae, all covered in muscle and blubber. Mujal said, “Even if they took a hit in the neck, that thick layer of flesh and skin ’round the neck means those predators might not have left any marks on the vertebrae.” Talk ’bout armor, man. ๐ŸงŸโ€โ™‚๏ธ๐ŸŒŠ๐Ÿ’ช

But even with that vulnerable long neck, the researchers still point out that it was a seriously successful evolutionary move. So many different groups of fish-eatin’ marine reptiles independently developed them elongated necks over a span of 175 million years. Even Tanystropheus’s crew had a success story, spreadin’ across Triassic shorelines from Europe all the way to China, and they held it down for 10 million years. Now that’s longevity, fam. ๐ŸŒ๐Ÿฆ–๐Ÿ“ˆ

Spiekman dropped some wisdom: “Evolution is all about makin’ those trade-offs. In the long run, takin’ the risk of havin’ a long neck was worth it for these animals.” Wise words, man. ๐Ÿค”๐Ÿฆ–๐Ÿ’ฏ

In other words, sometimes you gotta stick your neck out, even if it means losin’ your own head. That’s real talk. ๐Ÿ’ช๐Ÿค•๐Ÿฆ–


NOW IN ENGLISH

๐Ÿ˜ฎ๐Ÿฆ– Fossils Show How Long-Necked Reptiles Lost Their Heads


The discovery suggests that long-necked reptiles, which aided prehistoric creatures in catching food, were tempting targets for predators. In 1830, English paleontologist Henry De la Beche created a painting called “Duria Antiquior,” portraying a vision of Mesozoic oceans. When depicting a long-necked marine reptile, he showed its throat trapped between the jaws of a monstrous Ichthyosaurus. ๐Ÿ˜ฑ๐ŸŒŠ

Almost two centuries have passed without direct evidence of the neck biting De la Beche imagined. However, research published on Monday in the journal Current Biology has provided gory โ€” and extremely rare โ€” evidence that predators viewed the long, stretched necks of swimming reptiles in prehistoric seas as irresistible targets. ๐Ÿ’€๐ŸŠ

The victim in this case was Tanystropheus, whose neck is “completely unique” in the fossil record, according to Stephan Spiekman, a paleontologist with the State Museum of Natural History in Stuttgart, Germany, and an author of the study. The structure, which accounted for half of the animal’s body, consisted of 13 peculiarly elongated and interlocking vertebrae, creating a stiff neck akin to a fishing rod. ๐Ÿฆ•๐Ÿ’ช๐ŸŽฃ

“Gaining insight into how these extreme structures functioned, with their potential weaknesses and strengths, is very important,” Dr. Spiekman explained. Through his doctoral research, Dr. Spiekman discovered that two separate species of Tanystropheus โ€” one small and another almost 20 feet long โ€” lived in shallow lagoons of the Triassic Alps, likely hunting fish from perches on the seafloor. During the course of his research, he examined two specimens from both species, each consisting solely of a head and neck. ๐Ÿ‘ฅ๐Ÿ”ฌ๐Ÿ 

“In both animals, the neck is broken in the back half,” noted Dr. Spiekman. “It’s like snapping a broomstick.” ๐Ÿ˜ฎ๐Ÿ”จ

Dr. Spiekman shared the specimens with his office mate, Eudald Mujal, a paleontologist specializing in analyzing predator-prey interactions in fossils, particularly bite marks on bones. After spending an afternoon with the fossils in Zurich, they concluded that the necks had been bitten apart. ๐Ÿ’”๐Ÿฆด๐Ÿ’ข

“The broken parts of the bones look like when you break a chicken bone,” said Dr. Mujal. “The bones were broken while still fresh, most likely while the animal was still alive.” ๐Ÿ’ฅ๐Ÿ”๐Ÿ’ข

The team measured the distance between bite marks on the larger Tanystropheus and compared them with the jaws of various predators sharing the same habitat. The likely culprits were either large nothosaurs โ€” ancestors of plesiosaurs resembling seals โ€” or one of two large, predatory ichthyosaurs, explained Dr. Mujal. The smaller Tanystropheus may have been attacked by a smaller marine reptile or a large fish. ๐Ÿฆˆ๐Ÿข๐ŸŸ

Both animals had most likely been struck from above, the team concluded, possibly by a predator more interested in their meaty bodies than their spindly necks or small heads. “They’re possibly preferentially targeting the same region of the neck,” said Dr. Mujal, “far enough away from the head to make it hard for the animal to defend itself.” ๐Ÿ’ช๐Ÿšซ๐Ÿฆ–

Tanystropheus is the only marine reptile known to have suffered such unceremonious decapitation. The long necks of plesiosaurs โ€” reptiles that emerged after Tanystropheus went extinct and persisted until the end of the Mesozoic period โ€” consist of many robust vertebrae, all encased in muscle and blubber, explained Dr. Mujal. While they may have also been vulnerable in the neck region, “a very thick layer of flesh and skin around the neck means that predators might not have left any marks on the vertebrae.” ๐ŸงŸโ€โ™‚๏ธ๐ŸŒŠ๐Ÿ’ช

However, despite the vulnerability of the long neck, the researchers note that it was undoubtedly a highly successful evolutionary strategy. Many different groups of fish-eating marine reptiles independently evolved elongated necks over a span of 175 million years. Even Tanystropheus’s family proved to be a success story, spreading across Triassic shorelines from modern Europe to China and lasting for 10 million years. ๐ŸŒ๐Ÿฆ–๐Ÿ“ˆ

“Evolution is a game of trade-offs,” said Dr. Spiekman. “In the long run, the risk of having a long neck was worth it for this animal.” ๐Ÿค”๐Ÿฆ–๐Ÿ’ฏ

In other words, sometimes sticking your neck out can be worth it for the species โ€” even if it means losing your own head. ๐Ÿ’ช๐Ÿค•๐Ÿฆ–

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