Scientists have stumbled over an unusual paleontological find that unearths mysteries in the Canary Islands.
A research team led by the University of La Laguna paleontologist Carolina Castillo Ruiz has found an articulated lizard of the Gallotia species, dating to approximately 700,000 years ago, it has been reported.
The valuable specimen has been scanned, cleaned, and is currently stored in the Biology Section of the University of La Laguna, reports infobae.
The discovery is likely to undergo further study and will be formally presented at the next national Paleontology Congress.
The discovery occurred by chance when botanist Arnoldo Santos Guerra was searching for snail shells and stumbled upon a 20kg block containing an intriguing bone.
Recognising the significance of the find, Santos Guerra promptly contacted Castillo Ruiz, who was then working on the funded projects Gallotia 3D and Paleoparque Anaga.
”The main lizard has fully preserved its morphology, allowing us to clearly appreciate its skeletal structure,” explained Castillo Ruiz, referring to the excellent state of preservation of the fossil.
In addition, other remains were found, possibly belonging to a younger or smaller lizard, although in a less optimal state.
According to initial hypotheses, both lizards may have been trapped in a dune formation, explaining the exceptional preservation of their bone structures.
“The cause of death could have been accidental or sudden,” said the researcher.
Compared to current and extinct species, this lizard shows remarkable similarities to the Gallotia from El Hierro.
However, the exact species has yet to be precisely determined. So far, CT scans of the head, separated from the body, have been conducted to create a 3D model for comparison with current species.
Castillo Ruiz emphasised the need for a detailed bone-by-bone analysis to look for small signs that could reveal information about the specimens’ paleobiology.
He noted the excellent state of preservation allows for determining the exact proportions of the animal without relying on traditional regression lines.
Ruiz suggests the lizard might be a giant Gallotia goliath, a species that went extinct before humans arrived on the islands.
The laboratory at the University of La Laguna, where these remains are housed, is regarded as a sanctuary of the paleontological heritage of the Canary Islands.
It holds thousands of fossil specimens, including plants, vertebrates, invertebrates, and trace fossils.
Among the treasures in the laboratory, are the remains of lizards from El Hierro dating back between 4,000 and 15,000 years. These include jaws, teeth, and leg bones, which have been meticulously cataloged.
The team has explored 26 caves on El Hierro, but only one has been cataloged to date, highlighting the need for more technical staff and researchers to advance scientific knowledge.
