Nearly five million years ago, an unlikely animal roamed what is now modern Tennessee. The animal called Miopetaurista webbi glided from tree to tree in Southern Appalachia. The giant flying squirrel was discovered at Gray Fossil Site and has given researchers insight into prehistoric North America.
The Discovery
Paleontologists have been digging at Gray Fossil Site for over 25 years. The location now has a reputation for being a treasure trove of ancient fossils. They found different fossils that made up a diverse ecosystem millions of years ago, this includes the discovery of Miopetaurista’s fossil.
Miopetaurista
Miopetaurista webbi shared many features with the modern flying squirrel, although it was much larger. They were around the size of a house cat, weighing approximately three pounds. They were adapted to gliding through treetops away from predators on the ground.
Habitat
Miopetaurista lived during a time when the Earth was much hotter than it is today. Green forests dominate the landscape, which supports a wide variety of life. Living among the prehistoric flying squirrel were other large mammals like mastodons and early rhinoceroses.
Migration
Miopetaurista is primarily found in fossil records in Eurasia and seemed to primarily dwell there. Finding one of its kind in North America is a revelation that has implications for its migratory habits. Dr Isaac Casanovas-Vilar, Doctor of Geology at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, noted, “Finding Miopetaurista in North America was quite unexpected as this genus is only known from Eurasia”
Crossing Continents
Miopetaurista being found at the Gray Fossil Site means that it most likely migrated through the Bering Land Bridge in the Early Pliocene. In its new ecosystem, it would have been an important predator and prey for larger predators. It had a great survival instinct, using elevation as a way of avoiding predators.
Fossil Record
Even in Eurasia, fossils of Miopetaurista are quite rare, making the new discovery relevant to future research. Being the oldest fossil of its kind found in North America, researchers could get insight into their evolutionary history and how they adapted to their new climate.
Extinction Factors
The climate that Miopetaurista dwelled underwent rapid changes as Pleistocene Ice Ages swept across the continent. These squirrels would have been forced to migrate south to warmer climates, but the overall shift in temperature played a part in their extinction.
Comparison With Modern Squirrels
Miopetaurista can give us insights into a prehistoric lineage when compared to modern squirrels. Modern flying squirrels only weigh about 2,5 ounces when compared to the whopping 3 pounds of their ancient relatives. The comparisons can show the links between genetic diversity and Earth’s driving factors for evolution.
Importance Of The Find
The discovery of Miopetaurista shows how important the Gray Fossil Site is in finding new fossils. Associate Professor of geosciences and co-author of the study on Miopetaurista noted, “It is amazing to imagine these giant flying squirrels gliding over rhinos and mastodons living in the forests of Tennessee.”
Further Research
Gray Fossil Site continues to be researched and studied, as new fossils could always be found there. Paleontologists could potentially find fossils that could challenge previous assumptions about prehistoric life. Each new discovery can show us a better understanding of prehistoric life.
More To Uncover
Researchers are still digging deeper into the Gray Fossil Site; as more sedimentary rock is uncovered, the chance of finding new fossils is high. As new species are found, figuring out how they are interconnected with each other becomes easier to figure out.
Miopetaurista’s Relevance
The story of Miopetaurista isn’t over yet, as more fossils are yet to be found that could lead researchers to new conclusions about anything from their diet to population dispersion. They are one of many fossils that show that Earth is an ever-changing place that facilitates different life depending on the timeline.
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