Fossilised remains of ‘weird’ creature with ‘twisted’ jaw discovered

Experts have discovered the fossilized remains of a creature with a “strangely bent” bent jaw and sideways-pointing teeth.

Paleontologists analyzed nine bones found in a dry riverbed in Brazil and believe they consist of “living fossils” when plant-eating reptiles roamed the earth about 275 million years ago.

The new species was named Tanyka amnicola; The first word comes from the local Indigenous Guaraní language and means “jaw,” while the second word means “living by the river.”

The creature had pointed side teeth, with smaller teeth lining the inside of its jaws, indicating that they were among the first to grind plants for food.

Lead author of the study, Dr. from the Field Museum in Chicago. Jason Pardo said: “There’s a weird bend in the jaw that drives us crazy trying to figure it out.

“We’ve been scratching our heads for years wondering if this was some kind of deformation, but at this point this animal has nine jaws and they all have this bend, including the ones that are really well preserved.

“So it’s not a deformation, it’s just the way the animal is made.”

Scientist believe that Tanyka is part of the tretrapod animal group, that is, a four-legged creature with a spine, but much about it is still unknown, including its body shape.

Dr. “In the sense that Tanyka is a remaining member of the stem tetrapod lineage, even after newer, more modern tetrapods evolved, Tanyka is a bit like the platypus: it was a living fossil in its time,” Pardo said.

“Compared to close relatives, we can say that Tanyka resembles a salamander with a slightly longer snout.”