When people think of paleontologists, they often think of the geeky but lovable Ross Geller from Friends. But the fact of the matter is, paleontology is a very serious profession. Paleontologists seek to unlock the history of humankind and other life on the planet. And of course, of the planet itself. Every day, new questions arise about our evolutionary process. Every day, new information emerges that negate popular theories. Paleontology attempts to reconstruct the history of the planet. All from bone fragments and fossils. If you have one of the popular Spectrum bundles, you can catch a lot of interesting information about the planet. There is something always on the Discovery Channel and the History Channel. But even if you aren’t a paleontology buff, you still need to know this. Here are the biggest paleontological discoveries of 2018.
Paleontology in 2018
There were many happenings in the paleontology world last year. From the discovery of a huge dinosaur to new theories on our earliest human ancestors, there is a lot. Some of these moments in paleontology could rewrite history as we know it. Here are five big events from 2018 in the world of paleontology:
- 2 Entirely New Amphibious Fossils
- Mammals from Reptiles
- A 12-Ton Dinosaur
- The Earliest Ancestors
- A Bony Controversy
Read on for a closer look at these exciting events in paleontology.
2 Entirely New Amphibious Fossils
Paleontologists announced in June 2018 that they had discovered two new amphibious species. The fossilized amphibians were previously unknown to science. The discovery is groundbreaking in terms of paleontology. These fossils are now the earliest known record of 4-legged animals that lived on land. Also known as tetrapods, the fossils found on the African continent make up a huge missing link between 3 species. They could potentially link reptiles, amphibians, and fish. The newly discovered fossils have put Africa on the paleontology map. It is now the prime place to discover how marine life transitioned to living on land.
Mammals from Reptiles
Mammals have their evolutionary ancestry in reptiles. To be more precise, in a mammal-like reptile group called cynodonts. Mammals and reptiles are, on the surface, very different species. Reptiles tend to lay a large number of eggs and offer little to no parental care to their young. Mammals, on the other hand, give birth to live young. They also tend to give a lot of parental care to their young. Until 2018, nobody knew whether cynodonts laid eggs or gave birth. Studies by US researchers of a 190 million-year-old cynodont fossil suggest they laid eggs. They point to the abnormally large number of preserved babies with the fossil, 38 to be exact. Such a large clutch size is not normal in mammals, but very common in reptiles. Researchers also suggested that the parent couldn’t possibly have produced enough milk. Or even given enough care to 38 babies. This redefines a lot that we thought we knew about cynodonts.
A 12-Ton Dinosaur
Everybody thinks of gigantic reptilian monsters when you mention the word dinosaur. But does anyone actually wonder when and how they got so big? Africa was home to some of the largest species of known dinosaurs. The Spinosaurus was much bigger than its cousin the Tyrannosaurus Rex. The Tanzanian Giraffatitan stood the tallest. But a new discovery may have found the earliest “big” dinosaur. In South Africa, the Ledumahadi mafube is a 200 million-year-old dinosaur. It could have been the first big dinosaur. It’s definitely the oldest above 10 tons. Dinosaurs in the later ages were even bigger than Ledumahadi mafube. But in its own time, it probably towered over anything else.
The Earliest Ancestors
Science (and genetics) tell us that humankind or homo sapiens have a single common ancestor. This ancestor lived in Africa around 300,000 years ago. After around 200,000 years, homo sapiens began to leave Africa. They spread to different continents and started living there. However, there is another theory, which has persisted despite the evidence.
This “multiregional model” states that humans evolved independently of each other. Europeans have their ancestry with Neanderthal man. Asians with home erectus and Africans with Homo heidelbergensis. Many experts reject this theory. They also point out the racist undertones that accompany it. In April 2018, the multiregional model faced its conclusive demise.
The theory cites similarities in the incisors between Homo erectus and modern-day Asians. New evidence suggests that this similarity is merely the result of parallel conditions. The gene that controls the incisor shape also controls sweat glands and mother’s milk. Both are crucial for survival in the Ice Age. This means modern Asians did not inherit their incisors from Homo erectus. Instead, it is the result of adapting to the cold weather.
A Bony Controversy
In January 2018, human paleontology saw a big event over the controversy of a bone. The bone in question is a femur found in 2001 in Chad. Researcher Michael Brunet believed it to be the bone of a bipedal hominin. A species known as Toumai to be precise. But fellow researcher Roberto Macchiarelli believes differently. He states the bone belongs to a species of quadrupedal ape, not Toumai. Toumai may be the earliest known human ancestor link, dating back almost 7 million years. This means the ancestry of mankind may be deeply rooted in Western Africa. Not just the eastern part of the continent as believed. But if the bone turns out to be an ape bone, the way we look at our ancestry will shift once more.
Paleontology is not an exact science. Reconstructing history millions of years after the fact is not an easy task. More new questions get raised than the average Spectrum silver package subscriber has with channel lineups. Each new discovery sparks more debate, research, and publications. We have come a long way in the quest for knowledge of our roots. Only time will tell how far we still have to go.
