Much of the Earth's past is being uncovered today. Paleontologists and archaeologists discover much that sheds light on what was on the Earth eons ago. Along with this, a new ancient fish has been discovered that is said to be large and heavily armored. The newly discovered ancient fish as so massive, it gained a notable moniker, the B.Rex.
The newly discovered fish belongs to the ancient group Antiarchi, a line of extinct fishes known for their bony armor plates that cover the head, shoulders and frontal fins, as Phys Org reports. The fish has been given the scientific name Bothriolepis rex. A team of researchers from the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, Delaware Valley University, Stanford University and the University of Chicago has given the name to the fish.
The fish has been identified from fossil remains that were discovered in 2000. The fossil was discovered in the Okse Bay on Ellesmere Island in Canada, according to Eureka Alert. The site has been known to have fossils from the Devonian period, which was 370 million years ago, predating the dinosaurs.
With the discovery of the Bothriolepis Rex the Antiarchi group has its size range extended, as Jason Downs, research associate from Drexel University and assistant professor from Delaware Valley University, observed. He also added that the discovery presents an opportunity to study the lifestyle and behavior of the ancient fish.
Bothriolepis Rex has a length of about 1.7 meters long and 30 percent longer than the previously known large fish in the Antiarchi line, Bothriolepis maxima. Its large thick plates were found with fossils of other species that have the same plates. The thick plates have protected the fish from attacks from predators.
The fish was likely a bottom-dwelling one, as indicated by its flat bottom and the position of its mouth, which was in a downward position, as Downs noted. Its large size possibly put an end to it as well, as it has also been noted by the end of the Devonian period, the Antiarch line has become extinct.
"We can't know exactly why B.Rex went extinct, but large-bodied species are often found to be at higher risk of extinction than small-bodied ones," Downs said.
A bizarre fossilized reptile has also recently been found, as covered in a previous iTechPost article.
