Ifosili yeminyaka eyizigidi ezingu-240 ye-amphibian eyatholwa odongeni olugciniwe ngeminyaka yawo-1990s ibizwe ngokusemthethweni futhi yachazwa ososayensi e-UNSW Sydney kanye nase-Australian Museum.
Izinsalela zamathambo ekuqaleni zatholwa umlimi wezinkukhu osewathatha umhlalaphansi ematsheni atholakala enkwalini yendawo eyayihloselwe ukusetshenziswa ekwakhiweni kodonga olugcina ingadi futhi ngemva kwalokho yanikelwa e-Australian Museum eSydney.
Isazi se-paleontologist u-Lachlan Hart, obambe iqhaza elihlanganyelwe ne-UNSW Science kanye ne-Australian Museum, uthi i-fossil - ebizwa ngokuthi i-Arenaerpeton supinatus, okusho ukuthi "i-supine sand creeper" - ibonisa cishe wonke uhlaka lwamathambo, futhi ngokuphawulekayo, imidwebo yesikhumba sayo.
“Le mivubukulo iyisibonelo esiyingqayizivele seqembu lezilwane ezashabalala ezaziwa ngokuthi ama-temnospondyls, ezaziphila ngaphambi nangesikhathi sama-dinosaurs,” kusho uHart, i-Ph.D. ikhandidethi eSikoleni seBiological, Earth and Environmental Science (BEES) e-UNSW.
“Asivamisile ukuthola amathambo anekhanda nomzimba asaxhumekile, futhi ukugcinwa kwezicubu ezithambile kuyisenzakalo esiyivelakancane.”
I-Arenaerpeton yayihlala emifuleni yamanzi ahlanzekile endaweni manje eyaziwa ngokuthi i-Sydney Basin ngesikhathi se-Triassic, eminyakeni eyizigidi ezingu-240 edlule. UMnu. Hart uthi cishe yayizingela ezinye izinhlanzi zasendulo njenge-Cleithrolepis, kodwa ngaphandle kwalokho, abukho ubufakazi obuningi obusitshela ngezinye izilwane i-Arenaerpeton eyabelana ngazo nomhlaba namanzi.
"Ngaphandle nje, i-Arenaerpeton ibukeka ifana kakhulu neSalamander yesimanje yaseShayina, ikakhulukazi ekumeni kwekhanda layo," kusho uHart.
Nokho, ngobukhulu bezimbambo nezicubu ezithambile ezigcinwe kule nsalela siyabona ukuthi yayinzima kakhulu kunenzalo yayo ephilayo. Yayinamazinyo amahle agedlezelayo, kuhlanganise namazinyo anjengamazinyo ophahleni lomlomo wayo.”
UHart uthi okujabulisayo ngalokhu kutholakala ukuthi i-Arenaerpeton inkulu - ilinganiselwa ku-1.2m ukusuka ekhanda kuye emsileni - lapho iningi lezilwane ezisondelene ezaziphila ngesikhathi esisodwa zazincane.
“Owokugcina kuma-temnospondyls ayese-Australia eminyakeni eyizigidi eziyi-120 ngemuva kwe-Arenaerpeton, futhi amanye akhula abe amasayizi amakhulu. Umlando wezinsalela zama- temnospondyls uhlanganisa izenzakalo ezimbili zokuqothulwa kwabantu abaningi, ngakho mhlawumbe lokhu kuguquka kobukhulu obukhulayo kwasiza ekuphileni kwawo isikhathi eside.”
UDkt. Matthew McCurry, uMfundisi Omkhulu eSikoleni se-UNSW se-BEES kanye noMgcini wePaleontology e-Australian Museum uthi izinsalela zamathambo zitholakala emlandweni we-paleo wase-Australia.
“Lena ngenye yezinsalela ezibaluleke kakhulu ezitholakala eNew South Wales eminyakeni engu-30 edlule, ngakho kuyajabulisa ukuyichaza ngokusemthethweni,” kusho uMcCurry, ophinde abe ngumbhali-ndawonye kulolu cwaningo. “Limelela ingxenye ebalulekile yefa lase-Australia lezinsalela ezimbiwa phansi.”
Ucwaningo lushicilelwe ku Ijenali ye-Vertebrate Paleontology, futhi lezi zinsalela zizobukiswa e-Australian Museum, eSydney, ngasekupheleni kwalo nyaka.
