Queensland has recently come under the spotlight, for its newest discovery... and it’s an exciting one!
The state’s rich fossil record just became even more impressive with the unearthing of what is believed to be the smallest vertebrate fossil ever found in Australia.
Described by Queensland Museum palaeontologists, the discovery of Palaeospondylus australis sheds new light on a similar species found only in Scotland, which has baffled scientists for decades.
The species is believed to be a highly elusive, tiny "fish" from a remote area near the Northern Territory border. It inhabited the shallow edges of a marine environment around 400 million years ago.
While Scottish fossils are abundant, they are typically flattened, making detailed analysis difficult. In contrast, Queensland's fossils, though disarticulated, are remarkably well-preserved in 3D. This exceptional preservation offers fresh insight into this mysterious species and may even reveal a distant evolutionary link to modern sharks.
This fossil discovery not only deepens our understanding of ancient Australian ecosystems but also sheds light on the global connections of early vertebrate life. Ongoing research into Palaeospondylus australis holds the potential to uncover new clues about the evolution of jawed vertebrates.
Queensland can now proudly claim to be home to both Australia’s largest and smallest known ancient species!
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