Sahara Desert Yields Ancient Amphibious Fossils

MONTREAL, Quebec, Canada, April 15, 2005 (ENS) - The fossilized skulls of two new species of large, meat eating amphibians have been discovered by researchers in the Sahara desert of Niger in West Africa. The fossils are believed to be 250 million years old - the first and oldest amphibious carnivores found in the arid, low-lying region.

Until they saw these fossils, scientists had believed animals like these had gone extinct 40 million years earlier, around 290 million years ago.

Seven organizations from five countries cooperated in this research, which is reported today in the journal "Nature." The lead scientists from Niger are Dr. Oumarou Ide and Dr. Abdoulaye Maga of the Institut de Recherches en Sciences Humaines in Niamey.

"This the first evidence of carnivores in this area," says McGill University paleontologist, and co-author, Hans Larsson. "This find is particularly interesting because the animals we found are not present anywhere else in the world at that time. These animals seemed to be restricted to this one region of Africa that had one of the driest climates on the planet."

McGill paleontologist Hans Larsson ponders an ancient skeleton (Photo courtesy McGill)

Because they were amphibious, the scientists believe there was some water in the region when they were alive. The two species of amphibians are similar to crocodiles in shape.

Nigerpeton ricglesi had rounded noses, with small eyes and both small and large fang-like teeth. The animal measured about three meters, seven to eight feet, said researchers.

Saharastega moradiensis, which measured about two meters, five to six feet, had curved 'horns' on the back of its head and an array of small teeth.

Niger expeditions assisted by Larsson have led to the discovery of eight unknown species of dinosaurs and five new types of crocodiles. Among his co-discoveries was a dog-sized dinosaur, baptized "deltadromeus," and a 40 ton afroventor.

"Niger is a very unexplored country," he says. "Almost everything we find there is completely new to science."

But Niger is not easy to navigate. Research teams must travel by Hummer caravans using a Global Positioning System. Arabic-to-English translators are hired to help locate dinosaur bone-beds, which many locals misinterpret as being camel graveyards. Civil wars have made expeditions treacherous. Researchers also worry about snakes and scorpions.

This group of researchers has been studying the fossil beds of Niger for years. On a Niger expedition in 2000, paleontologist Christian Sidor of the New York College of Osteopathic Medicine unearthed five foot long jawbones from an ancient 40 foot crocodile, the Sarcosuchus imperator.

Scientist Paul C. Serrano has led fossil hunting expeditions to Niger since the mid-1990s. (Photo credit unknown)

The discovery of ancient species has much to teach people who are alive today, Larsson says. "Our findings show that climate change more than 250 million years ago had a dramatic effect on species survival and evolution. Something to keep in mind when evaluating similar changes in today's world."

Co-discoverers are:

• Christian A. Sidor and F. Robin O'Keefe, Department of Anatomy, New York College of Osteopathic Medicine, Old Westbury, New York 11568, USA
• Ross Damiani, Bernard Price Institute for Palaeontological Research, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg 2050, South Africa
• J. Sebastien Steyer, Bâtiment de Paléontologie, UMR 5143 CNRS, Département Histoire de la Terre, Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, 8, rue Buffon, F-75008 Paris, France
• Roger M. H. Smith, South African Museum, Queen Victoria Street, Cape Town 8000, South Africa
• Hans Larsson, Redpath Museum, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3A 2K6, Canada
• Paul C. Sereno, Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA
• Oumarou Ide, Abdoulaye Maga, Institut de Recherches en Sciences Humaines, Niamey, Niger Republic