As of: February 20, 2024, 11:49 a.m
By: Julia Volkenand
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What experts believed for decades to be a remnant of times long past is actually said to be a fake.
Munich - It is one of the oldest and probably most important finds that paleontologists have ever made in the Alps.
The Tridentinosaurus antiquus is 280 million years old, unusually clear to see and pleasantly well preserved.
At 270 million years old, the reptile was considered one of the oldest fossils with preserved soft parts found in the Alps in Italy, near the Stramaiolo Formation in Trentino.
But now the spectacular find seems to be turning out to be a non-starter.
The fossil, which was discovered in 1931, is apparently at least partly a fake.
A research group from the University of Cork in Ireland published in the journal “Palaeontology” came to the conclusion that it was not a flawless historical find.
Researchers reveal: Alpine fossil partly just a fake
In pictures of the fossil you can clearly see that it stands out darkly against the lighter rock in which it is embedded.
Scientists have so far interpreted this color contrast as preserved soft tissue, i.e. skin, muscles, blood vessels and the like.
But the experts from Cork concluded that the Tridentinosaurus antiquus was a relief-shaped fossil covered with black paint.
The team around Dr.
Valentina Rossi then took a closer look at the find and examined it with microscopes.
It was noticed that the dark discolorations do not correspond to fossilized soft tissue.
UV examinations also revealed that the fossilization had been covered with a layer.
This is generally not unusual; in the past, fossils were regularly prepared with varnish.
This allows the finds to be made more durable for exhibitions, for example.
But unlike authentic pieces, there was no evidence of real soft tissue fossilization under the paint layer.
“Fossil soft tissues are rare, but when found in a fossil they can provide important biological information such as external color, internal anatomy and physiology,” explains Dr.
Rossi in a report from University College Cork.
270 million year old fossil probably not unique after all
But how could the fake go unnoticed for so long?
The researchers believe the reason is that the fossil has never been examined in depth, although it has been discussed in specialist circles for over 90 years.
According to the report from Cork, people have been puzzling for decades as to what type of reptile the unusually preserved fossil could belong to.
Prof Evelyn Kustatscher, co-author of the study, explains: “Now everything makes sense.
What has been described as charred skin is just paint.”
After all: According to the results, parts of the reptile are quite authentic.
The bones that lie behind the paint coating are obviously a real fossil.
However, this is partly poorly preserved.
Fossilized remains of various ancient creatures are repeatedly discovered in the Alps.
Recently, the discovery of giant marine dinosaurs caused a sensation.