The oldest specialized plant-eating reptile discovered near Alamogordo, New Mexico


The New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science (NMMNHS) has announced the discovery of Gordodon, a new sail-backed reptile based on an incomplete skeleton found in Permian age (about 300 million years old) rocks near Alamogordo, New Mexico. The unique structure of the skull, jaws and teeth of Gordodon indicate it was a surprisingly specialized plant eater (herbivore). Previously, such specialized plant eating was not known in reptiles older than about 200 million years.

“Gordodon rewrites the books by pushing back our understanding of the evolution of such specialized herbivory by about 100 million years,” said Spencer Lucas, Ph.D. Palentology Curator at the NMMNHS.

https://sangrechronicle.com/the-olde...do-new-mexico/

https://www.livescience.com/64147-an...d-reptile.html