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Description
According to a new study, scientists uncovered an ancient land snail species in Romania that somehow survived a massive extinction event that killed off 75% of all species on Earth.
Introducing Ferussina Petofiana
Ferussina petofiana, the newly named species, is a member of the uncommon genus Ferussina. It lived in the late Cretaceous Period about 72 million years ago.
The snail was discovered in the Haseg Basin in Romania. Its shell was approximately 10.8 mm broad and 4.4 mm high.
This is the first Ferussina species discovered in the eastern hemisphere, as well as the oldest on record, dating back 23 million years.
A Remarkable Survivor
The Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) mass extinction wiped off dinosaurs and many other species 66 million years ago. However, F. petofiana appears to have weathered this disaster.
Its discovery in Romania demonstrates that the Ferussinidae snail family also crossed this perilous border into the Paleogene Period.
A Single Valuable Specimen
F. petofiana is currently only known from a single fossil. While more complete snail fossils have been discovered in Romania, they are still uncommon.
The surrounding area has primarily produced fossil animals, particularly dwarf dinosaurs. However, this unique shell adds to the small number of European species that have survived the K-Pg catastrophe.
Why Does It Matter?
According to the researchers, the discovery that these snails survived the huge die-off resets scientific understanding of the genus.
It also pushes the Ferussina timeframe into the late Cretaceous by about 23 million years, which is no minor effort for a lowly mollusk.
Every ancient survivor adds to our understanding of that key period and the evolutionary upheaval that followed the catastrophe.
A Single Valuable Specimen
F. petofiana is currently only known from a single fossil. While more complete snail fossils have been discovered in Romania, they are still uncommon.
The surrounding area has primarily produced fossil animals, particularly dwarf dinosaurs. However, this unique shell adds to the small number of European species that have survived the K-Pg catastrophe.
Why Does It Matter?
According to the researchers, the discovery that these snails survived the huge die-off resets scientific understanding of the genus.
It also pushes the Ferussina timeframe into the late Cretaceous by about 23 million years, which is no minor effort for a lowly mollusk.
Every ancient survivor adds to our understanding of that key period and the evolutionary upheaval that followed the catastrophe.
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