14 DAY TRIAL // It lived more than 100 million years ago, swimming in the southern ocean when Australia was effectively a polar continent. A couple of Australian amateur fossil hunters have found last year the oldest swordfish from the times of dinosaurs. This is the first Australian Protosphyraena like fish, discovered near Boulia in western Queensland (northeastern Australia) and belongs to a new even more archaic genus.
The Protosphyraena ("early barracuda") (image) was an impressive two-meter long predatory fish with impressive blade-like teeth which lived in Europe and North America. Despite its appearance similar to a barracuda, it was in fact a primitive swordfish. The fossil hunters spotted the odd looking skull inside a large lump of rock.
Researchers from South Australian Museum - where the fossil has been studied - said the new species might be the ancestor of the Protosphyraena. The new fossil is at least 20 million years older than any Protosphyraena fossil and lived 100 million years ago, during the Cretaceous, the final Dinosaur Era. The specimen found in Australia is the most complete find till now in the Protoshyraena lineage. "When these animals were alive, Australia was effectively the southern polar continent, so you're talking about animals there living in the polar ocean," said Dr Ben Kear from South Australian Museum.
"This fish is one of many new species that we've been finding recently and we're hoping to piece together an ancient fauna that is the equivalent of what are leopard seals and penguins today."
"We're looking at animals that were living at the south pole 100 million years ago."
Scientists believe that, 100 million years ago, the South Pole marine fauna was a genetic center for many groups roaming the oceans nowadays. "So what this is telling us is that perhaps these polar faunas down in Australia were some sort of factory for species, the origin for a lot of these groups," Kear said.
Australia is seen like an unexplored El Dorado for fossil hunters. "In Australia, in particular, which is a very big and very empty place, there's a lot of ground to cover," he said. "So the beauty of this and the tantalizing part is that who knows what else is out there."
