Paleontologists discovered a rare platypus tooth in the Riversleigh World Heritage Area in Queensland, Australia, that belongs to a different species of extinct platypus, changing the theory of platypus evolution line.
The teeth belong to a giant species of the platypus about twice the size of the modern species, with a scientist describing it as a "Godzilla" monster.
"Discovery of this new species was a shock to us because prior to this, the fossil record suggested that the evolutionary tree of platypuses was relatively linear one," Dr. Michael Archer of the University of New South Wales, said. "Now we realize that there were unanticipated side branches on this tree, some of which became gigantic."
Archer named it "Platypus Godzilla" because the new discovery, which scientific name is Obdurodon tharalkooschild who lived between 5 and 15 million years ago, was up to three feet long and it would have been able to feed on a range of other species according to the shape of the teeth.
"It could probably fed not only on crayfish and other freshwater crustaceans, but also on small vertebrates including lungfish, frogs and small turtles that are preserved with it in the Two Tree Site fossil deposit," Dr. Suzanne Hand of the University of New South Wales, added.
Before, it was thought the species evolved slowly into the smaller and toothless modern platypus which has horny pads instead of teeth. But now, it is uncertain whether there is one or two or even more ancestor lines in platypus life path.
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