Researchers discover 'Mold Pig' that lived 30 million years ago

A group of scientists at Oregon State University College of Science have discovered a creature that lived about 30 million years ago. The researchers have given the name mold pig because its appearance is a lot like a pig and it eats fungus. It was found unexpectedly in fossils preserved in the Dominican amber. Scientists state that the fossil proposes another family, genus and types of macroinvertebrates which survived through the mid-Tertiary time frame. The newly discovered creature is so tiny that it doesn't fit into the category of normal animals. The study was published in the journal 'Invertebrate Biology' by George Poinar and Diane R.Nelson.

The journal wrote, "The several hundred fossil individuals preserved in the amber shared their moist, warm habitat with pseudoscorpions, nematodes, fungi and protozoa."

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The mold pig is different from other animals

As reported by foreign media, the researcher at the University, Dr George Poinar said that they keep finding tiny, undiscovered fossil creatures without a spine on a regular basis and some times they find something that is millions of years old. Since the mold pig is different from other animals they cannot be placed in any such existing group of invertebrates. They look somewhat similar to water bears, or tardigrades but do not come in their category due to some differences.

"Placed in a new family, genus, and species, the fossil shares characters with both tardigrades and mites, but clearly belongs to neither group", wrote journal author.

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Largest Flying Animal In History

Scientists have unveiled a newly discovered species of a pterosaur on September 11, the largest ever flying animal according to a study conducted by Queen Mary University in London. They are plane-sized reptiles that domineered the skies in the ancient times of the history over T-rex, Triceratops and other dinosaurs of the Late Cretaceous. These species come from the Azhdarchid group of pterosaurs. They were the largest flying reptiles with a wingspan of up to 10 meters and weighs 250 kgs which lived during the period of Cretaceous around 77 million years ago. The remains of the reptiles were found 30 years ago in Alberta, Canada, but palaeontologists assumed it wrong believing the species belonged to an already known species of pterosaur discovered in Texas, USA, named Quetzalcoatlus.

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(With inputs from agencies)