A remarkable fossil of an extinct lamprey species, dating back 134 million years, has been discovered in Chengde, a city in north China’s Hebei Province. Announced by the provincial department of natural resources on Thursday, this finding offers new insights into the ancient biodiversity of the region.
The fossil was identified as Mesomyzon mengae Chang by Zhang Jiangyong, a researcher from the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology at the Chinese Academy of Sciences. This marks the first time such a species has been unearthed in Hebei, expanding the known geographical distribution of this ancient lamprey.
Previously, fossils of Mesomyzon mengae Chang were found only in Inner Mongolia and the western part of Liaoning Province. The new discovery in Fengning Manchu Autonomous County indicates that this species had a broader habitat range than previously understood, extending into northern Hebei.
Lamprey fossils are extremely rare due to the species’ lack of hard bones and scales, which makes fossilization uncommon. Mesomyzon mengae Chang was once considered the only known jawless fossil from the Mesozoic era, making this find exceptionally valuable for paleontological research.
This discovery not only enriches the fossil record of ancient vertebrates in China but also provides significant material for studying the evolution of early jawless fish. Researchers hope that further analysis will shed light on the ecological conditions of the time and contribute to the understanding of vertebrate evolution.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
