Kyhytysuka sachicarum: New Marine Reptile Discovered

Kyhytysuka sachicarum is a new marine reptile species discovered by an international team of researchers. It is an extinct species. It was discovered from fossils found in central Columbia. Earlier scientists believed that it belonged to Platypterygius genus. Recently, it was discovered that it is a different species. And thus it is now named as Kyhytysuka sachicarum.

Kyhytysuka sachicarum honours Muisca tribal

• Kyhytysuka means “the one that cuts with something sharp”. The word belongs to the indigenous language of central Columbia.
• The new species has been named Kyhytysuka sachicarum to honour the Muisca culture of central Columbia. The Muisca are also called Chibcha. They were conquered by the Spanish in 1537. They were mainly agrarians. They also extracted salt from the sea.

Features of Kyhytysuka

• It was a mid – sized ophthalmosaurian. The Ophthalmosaurus belonged to the Jurassic period.
• It had extremely large sized eyes, dolphin – shaped body.
• The jaws had many robust teeth.
• It had several adaptations.
• It was a macro predatory vertebrate hunter, which means, it hunted larger vertebrates. Vertebrates are organisms with backbone. Organisms without backbone are called invertebrates.
• The species was mostly found in shallow waters.

Unique Feature: Teeth

The dentary is the longest bone of the species. It measures 720 mm. The dentition is the most unique feature of the species. The teeth are seated in continuous grooves. The teeth are slightly curved posteriorly. Also, an alternating wave – like pattern is observed.

Month: Current Affairs - December, 2021