Madrid, 4 (European press)
The tiny fossil of an ancient type of fish that lived about 436 million years ago was discovered in Chongqing, southwest China.
It is called “Binhai Yongdong fish”, or Yongdongaspis littoralis, and it is a species of Galeaspida. The fish is only 4 to 5 centimeters long, endemic to East Asia and mainly lives in shallow seas and coastal environments, Xinhua quoted the Natural Resources and Planning Bureau of Chongqing Municipalities as saying.
The unearthed fossil shows a layer of hard bones on the fish’s head, which makes it clear that the ancient fish wore a semicircular helmet. An article about the relevant study was published online in the journal Acta Geologica Sinica.
Chen Yang, first author of the paper and chief engineer at Chongqing Institute of Geology and Mineral Resources, said the discovery of new ancient species may help show some cases of transition during Galispeda’s evolution.
The Silurian period in which fish existed was a critical period in the evolution of the Earth. During this period, the planet underwent violent geological tectonic movements that formed marine red layers. Since there are not enough fossils found, the exact geological age of the red strata remains an unsolved mystery.
The fossil found in Chongqing is expected to provide new evidence of subdivision and association between the Upper Red Dynasty in southern China, according to Zhou Min, a professor at the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
“Creator. Devoted pop culture specialist. Certified web fanatic. Unapologetic coffee lover.”