Trending Now - Unique 275-million-year-old Fish Fossil Unveils Odd Features

WHO:

Jason Pardo, lead study author, research associate at the Field Museum in Chicago

Ken Angielczyk, co-author, curator of paleomammalogy at the Field Museum

Juan Carlos Cisneros, co-author, from Brazil’s Federal University of Piauí (UFPI)

Tanyka amnicola, the newly described species

WHAT:

Discovery of fossilized jawbones of Tanyka amnicola, a prehistoric creature

The jawbones were described as "oddly twisted" with sideways-facing teeth

Tanyka amnicola is considered a "living fossil" from the Permian period

The species was identified from nine fossilized lower jawbones, each approximately 6 inches (15 centimeters) long

The jaw structure suggests Tanyka may have been herbivorous, capable of grinding plant material

WHERE:

Fossils found in a dry riverbed in northeastern Brazil

The area was part of the supercontinent Gondwana during the early Permian period

WHEN:

Tanyka amnicola lived around 275 million years ago

Study published on March 4, 2026, in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B

WHY:

The discovery provides insights into the evolutionary history of tetrapods and the ecological dynamics of ancient environments

HOW:

Analysis of the jawbones revealed unique features, including a twist that was not a deformation but part of the animal's design

The inner surface of the jaw was covered in denticles, which likely formed a grinding surface for feeding

The research team concluded that Tanyka represents a lineage of tetrapods that survived longer than previously thought

QUOTES:

“The jaw has this weird twist that drove us crazy trying to figure it out,” said Jason Pardo.

“So it’s not a deformation, it’s just the way the animal was made,” stated Pardo.

“Tanyka is telling us about how this community actually worked, how it was structured, and who was eating what,” said Ken Angielczyk.

Researchers from the Field Museum in Chicago, including lead author Jason Pardo and co-author Ken Angielczyk, have identified a new prehistoric species called Tanyka amnicola, based on the discovery of nine fossilized jawbones found in a dry riverbed in northeastern Brazil. These jawbones, which are about six inches long and feature a unique twist with sideways-facing teeth, suggest that Tanyka was herbivorous and lived around 275 million years ago during the Permian period, a time when the area was part of the supercontinent Gondwana. The study, published on March 4, 2026, highlights the evolutionary history of tetrapods and provides insights into the ecological dynamics of ancient environments, with Angielczyk noting that Tanyka reveals important information about the structure of its community and feeding relationships.