New Fossil Discovery Reveals Early Herbivorous Land Vertebrate
Researchers have identified Tyrannoroter heberti, a 307-million-year-old tetrapod, as one of the earliest known terrestrial herbivores.
Paleontologists have identified Tyrannoroter heberti, a 307-million-year-old tetrapod, as one of the earliest known terrestrial herbivores. The fossilized skull was discovered within a tree stump in Nova Scotia, Canada. High-resolution micro-CT scans revealed dental structures adapted for a plant-based diet, including bony plates known as dental batteries on the roof of its mouth and lower jaw, which would have facilitated grinding tough plant material.
Arjan Mann, evolutionary biologist at the Field Museum in Chicago and co-lead author of the study, stated that this discovery indicates early experimentation with herbivory among terrestrial tetrapods. Despite its formidable name, Tyrannoroter measured approximately 25 centimeters (10 inches) in length and belonged to the pantylid group, related to the last common ancestor of reptiles and mammals.
The findings suggest that herbivorous traits in land vertebrates emerged shortly after their transition from aquatic environments, revising the timeline of herbivory's origin.