Researchers say famous fossil is really just paint, rocks and some bones

(CNN) — A 280 million-year-old fossil, believed to be a well-preserved specimen of an ancient reptile, is largely fake, according to new research.

The fossil, which was initially discovered in the Italian Alps in 1931, has the scientific name Tridentinosaurus antiquus. Scientists thought that the deep, dark outlines of the lizard-like body hidden in the rock were skin and soft tissue, and considered the fossil a puzzle piece in understanding the early evolution of reptiles.

For decades this fossil appeared in citations in books and articles, but no one studied it in detail. This remains, housed in the collection of the Museum of Nature and Humanity at the University of Padua in Italy, raised many questions about the exact nature of the creature as it was in life, when no additional similar specimens have been found.

A detailed new analysis revealed that the fossil’s dark color isn’t preserved genetic material: It’s just black color covering a pair of bones and a carved rock. The researchers behind the study reported their findings Feb. 15 in the journal Paleontology.

“The body color of this fossilized specimen is the same color as actual fossilized soft tissues of plants and animals,” Dr. Valentina Rossi, a postdoctoral researcher in paleontology at the University of California and lead author of the study, said in an email. College Cork in Ireland. “Therefore, without the use of diagnostic techniques, it was impossible to accurately identify the dark material.”

The revelation highlights new insights that can be gained by re-examining ancient and previously studied fossil specimens in museum collections using the latest technological methods.

detection of fakes

Reptiles first appeared between 310 and 320 million years ago between the Carboniferous and Permian eras. But understanding the evolution of these scaly vertebrates depends on what paleontologists discover in the fossil record, and the diversity of early reptilian animals remains a knowledge gap that researchers are trying to fill.

Also rare among ancient finds are soft tissue fossils, which have the potential to hold important biological information such as DNA.

When the specimen was discovered, researchers thought the fossil might provide a rare glimpse into the evolution of reptiles.

“The fossil was considered unique because at the time there were no other examples of fossil vertebrate preservation from the same geographic region and geological period,” Rossi said.

But the alleged skin color was similar to that seen in fossilized plants found in similar rocks, Rossi said.

There were some oddities about the discovery, such as the general lack of visible bones, including skull bones, although the body did not appear to be completely flat. So the initial assessment was that the specimen was essentially the mummy of an ancient reptile.

Rossi said, “One plausible explanation was that the bones were hidden under a layer of skin and therefore not visible.” “There are some examples of dinosaur mummies where, like human mummies, the bones are still wrapped within skin that are preserved in 3D.”

Concerned by the growing uncertainty surrounding the fossil, Rossi and colleagues began their study in 2021 by examining it with ultraviolet photography. Analysis showed that the sample was covered with a thick layer, Rossi said.

“Coating fossils with varnish is an ancient method of preservation, because in the past, there were no other suitable methods to protect them from natural decay,” said Mariagabriella Fornasiero, co-author of the study and curator of paleontology at the Museum of Nature. . Humanity, in a statement.

The team used powerful microscopes to analyze samples of the remains in different wavelengths of light, hoping to find biological information about the fossil beneath the coating.

Instead, researchers determined that the outlines of the bodies were carved into the rock and painted with “animal charcoal”, a commercial pigment used about 100 years ago that was made by burning animal bones . The carving also explains why the specimen maintains such a realistic shape rather than appearing flat like a real fossil.

“With the answers to all our questions in front of us, we had to study this fossil specimen in detail to uncover its secrets, even those secrets we probably didn’t want to know,” Rossi said.

The result was unexpected, but it explains why the fossil has baffled researchers for decades. The latest research confirms that “this is not the oldest mummy in the world,” study co-author Evelyn Kustatscher, curator of paleontology at the South Tyrolean Nature Museum in Bolzano, Italy, and project coordinator, said in a statement. Test.

Old mysteries and new questions

Interestingly, there are real bones inside the fossil. The hind limbs, although in poor condition, are true and also contain traces of osteoderms or scale-like structures. Now, researchers are trying to determine the exact age of the bones and which animal they belonged to. The team is also studying the rock, which may also preserve revealing details from 280 million years ago.

This is not the first time fossil forgery has been discovered, but Rossi said this particular style of forgery is unusual.

“The only fossil I know of painted on the rock is a fossilized crayfish that was built like a giant spider,” Rossi said. “Although, in this particular case, the type of paint was not identified, but I am confident that it is a carbon-based paint similar to what we found on our fossil.”

Given the lack of records associated with the fossil, including details of what was actually found in 1931, Rossi and his team cannot be completely confident that the forgery was deliberate.

“We think that since some bones are visible, someone has tried to expose more of the skeleton where you might expect to find the rest of the animal,” Rossi said. “The lack of proper equipment to prepare the hard rock didn’t help and applying paint at the end was probably just a way of beautifying the final work. “Unfortunately, whether this was done intentionally or not, it misled many experts into considering this fossil as exceptionally well preserved.”

Using advanced techniques to study fossils can uncover their true nature, Rossi said.

Fabrizio Nestola, co-author of the study, professor of mineralogy and chair of the University Museum Center at the University of Padua, said, “It is of fundamental importance that research uses new methods to take a closer look at discoveries that have already been The investigation has been done.” in a statement.

Nestola said, “Tridentinosaurus is an example of how science can uncover old mysteries and raise new questions.” “It will then be the task of our museum to process the new knowledge acquired and bring it closer to the public in order to lead the scientific and cultural debate.”