300m-year-old lizard discovered in Canada is earliest known example of animal parental care - The Independent

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A primitive lizard that lived 309 million years ago has been unearthed in Canada with its tail wrapped round its young.

It is the earliest example uncovered of parental care in the animal kingdom, shedding light on the evolution of love.

The fossilised remains include a juvenile positioned belly-up behind the mother’s hind limb and snugly encircled by her tail.

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The pair died suddenly in a swamp-like forest in Nova Scotia, where the adult had built a den to raise its family, experts say. Their final embrace was captured in time.

The new species, which resembled today’s monitor lizard, has been named Dendromaia unamakiensis – after the Greek words for “tree” and “caring mother”.

left Created with Sketch. right Created with Sketch.

1/16 Triceratops

A ceratopsian, meaning 'horned face', the triceratops lived between 68-66 million years ago in the late Cretaceous period. The pictured skeleton was found in Montana, USA and is on display at the Senckenberg museum in Germany

Christian Voigt / SWNS

2/16 Tyrannosaurus rex

This large carnivore lived between 68-66 million years ago in the late Cretaceous period. The pictured skeleton, known as Tristan Otto, is on display at the Berlin Museum of Natural History and is one of the best preserved T-rex skeletons in the world. Of the 300 bones that make up the display, 170 are genuine fossils

Christian Voigt / SWNS

3/16 Stegosaurus

This armoured herbivore lived between 155-145 million years ago in the late Jurassic period. This fossil was found in Bone Cabin Quarry in Wyoming, USA and is on display at the Senckenberg museum in Germany

Christian Voigt / SWNS

4/16 Triceratops

A ceratopsian, meaning 'horned face', the triceratops lived between 68-66 million years ago in the late Cretaceous period. The pictured skeleton was found in Montana, USA and is on display at the Senckenberg museum in Germany

Christian Voigt / SWNS

5/16 Pterodactyl

The most well-known of the pterosaurs lived between 150-148 million years ago in the late Jurassic period. The pictured skeleton is the largest ever found and is on display at the Altmuhltal Museum in Germany

Christian Voigt / SWNS

6/16 Tyrannosaurus rex

This large carnivore lived between 68-66 million years ago in the late Cretaceous period. The pictured skeleton, known as Tristan Otto, is on display at the Berlin Museum of Natural History and is one of the best preserved T-rex skeletons in the world. Of the 300 bones that make up the display, 170 are genuine fossils

Christian Voigt / SWNS

7/16 Sabre-toothed tiger

Known officially as a smilodon, the sabre-toothed tiger was a dominant predator between 2.5 million - 10,000 years ago in the Pleistocene era. The pictured skeleton is on display at the Senckenberg museum in Germany

Christian Voigt / SWNS

8/16 Elaphrosaurus

The 'fleet lizard' lived between 154-151 million years ago in the late Jurassic period. This skeleton is on display at the Berlin Museum of Natural History

Christian Voigt / SWNS

9/16 Mastodon

The American mastodon lived between around 5 million - 10,000 years ago. The pictured skeleton is on display at the Berlin Museum of Natural History

Christian Voigt / SWNS

10/16 Gomphotherium

This prehistoric elephant lived between 15 and 5 million years ago. The Gomphotherium is remarkably similar to an elephant, with the most obvious difference being the lower tusk that protruded from the bottom jaw of this beast. This particular skeleton is on display at the Senckenberg museum in Germany

Christian Voigt / SWNS

11/16 Kentrosaurus

This armoured herbivore lived between 155-150 million years ago in the late Jurassic period. The pictured skeleton is on display at the Berlin Museum of Natural History

Christian Voigt / SWNS

12/16 Tyrannosaurus rex

This large carnivore lived between 68-66 million years ago in the late Cretaceous period. The pictured skeleton, known as Tristan Otto, is on display at the Berlin Museum of Natural History and is one of the best preserved T-rex skeletons in the world. Of the 300 bones that make up the display, 170 are genuine fossils

Christian Voigt / SWNS

13/16 Dysalotosaurus

This herbivore lived around 152 million years ago in the late Jurassic period. The pictured skeleton is on display at the Berlin Museum of Natural History

Christian Voigt / SWNS

14/16 Mantellisaurus

This herbivore lived around 152 million years ago in the early Cretaceous period. The pictured skeleton is on display at the Natural History Museum in London

Christian Voigt / SWNS

15/16 Stygimoloch

It's name meaning 'devil from hell', the stygimoloch lived around 66 million years ago in the late Cretaceous period. The pictured skeleton is on display at the Berlin Museum of Natural History

Christian Voigt / SWNS

16/16 Euoplocephalus

This herbivore lived between 76-70 million years ago in the late Cretaceous period. This particular skeleton - on display at the Senckenberg museum in Germany - was found in Alberta, Canada, which is also where the first Euoplocephalus fossil was found in 1897

Christian Voigt / SWNS

1/16 Triceratops

A ceratopsian, meaning 'horned face', the triceratops lived between 68-66 million years ago in the late Cretaceous period. The pictured skeleton was found in Montana, USA and is on display at the Senckenberg museum in Germany

Christian Voigt / SWNS

2/16 Tyrannosaurus rex

This large carnivore lived between 68-66 million years ago in the late Cretaceous period. The pictured skeleton, known as Tristan Otto, is on display at the Berlin Museum of Natural History and is one of the best preserved T-rex skeletons in the world. Of the 300 bones that make up the display, 170 are genuine fossils

Christian Voigt / SWNS

3/16 Stegosaurus

This armoured herbivore lived between 155-145 million years ago in the late Jurassic period. This fossil was found in Bone Cabin Quarry in Wyoming, USA and is on display at the Senckenberg museum in Germany

Christian Voigt / SWNS

4/16 Triceratops

A ceratopsian, meaning 'horned face', the triceratops lived between 68-66 million years ago in the late Cretaceous period. The pictured skeleton was found in Montana, USA and is on display at the Senckenberg museum in Germany

Christian Voigt / SWNS

5/16 Pterodactyl

The most well-known of the pterosaurs lived between 150-148 million years ago in the late Jurassic period. The pictured skeleton is the largest ever found and is on display at the Altmuhltal Museum in Germany

Christian Voigt / SWNS

6/16 Tyrannosaurus rex

This large carnivore lived between 68-66 million years ago in the late Cretaceous period. The pictured skeleton, known as Tristan Otto, is on display at the Berlin Museum of Natural History and is one of the best preserved T-rex skeletons in the world. Of the 300 bones that make up the display, 170 are genuine fossils

Christian Voigt / SWNS

7/16 Sabre-toothed tiger

Known officially as a smilodon, the sabre-toothed tiger was a dominant predator between 2.5 million - 10,000 years ago in the Pleistocene era. The pictured skeleton is on display at the Senckenberg museum in Germany

Christian Voigt / SWNS

8/16 Elaphrosaurus

The 'fleet lizard' lived between 154-151 million years ago in the late Jurassic period. This skeleton is on display at the Berlin Museum of Natural History

Christian Voigt / SWNS

9/16 Mastodon

The American mastodon lived between around 5 million - 10,000 years ago. The pictured skeleton is on display at the Berlin Museum of Natural History

Christian Voigt / SWNS

10/16 Gomphotherium

This prehistoric elephant lived between 15 and 5 million years ago. The Gomphotherium is remarkably similar to an elephant, with the most obvious difference being the lower tusk that protruded from the bottom jaw of this beast. This particular skeleton is on display at the Senckenberg museum in Germany

Christian Voigt / SWNS

11/16 Kentrosaurus

This armoured herbivore lived between 155-150 million years ago in the late Jurassic period. The pictured skeleton is on display at the Berlin Museum of Natural History

Christian Voigt / SWNS

12/16 Tyrannosaurus rex

This large carnivore lived between 68-66 million years ago in the late Cretaceous period. The pictured skeleton, known as Tristan Otto, is on display at the Berlin Museum of Natural History and is one of the best preserved T-rex skeletons in the world. Of the 300 bones that make up the display, 170 are genuine fossils

Christian Voigt / SWNS

13/16 Dysalotosaurus

This herbivore lived around 152 million years ago in the late Jurassic period. The pictured skeleton is on display at the Berlin Museum of Natural History

Christian Voigt / SWNS

14/16 Mantellisaurus

This herbivore lived around 152 million years ago in the early Cretaceous period. The pictured skeleton is on display at the Natural History Museum in London

Christian Voigt / SWNS

15/16 Stygimoloch

It's name meaning 'devil from hell', the stygimoloch lived around 66 million years ago in the late Cretaceous period. The pictured skeleton is on display at the Berlin Museum of Natural History

Christian Voigt / SWNS

16/16 Euoplocephalus

This herbivore lived between 76-70 million years ago in the late Cretaceous period. This particular skeleton - on display at the Senckenberg museum in Germany - was found in Alberta, Canada, which is also where the first Euoplocephalus fossil was found in 1897

Christian Voigt / SWNS

Hillary Maddin, a palaeontologist at Carleton University in Ottawa, said that although the animals would have appeared lizard-like it is thought they would have been more closely related to humans as a member of the synapsid lineage that evolved into mammals.

“The animals were discovered in a fossilised stump showing proposed parental care behaviour," she said.

“It would have been a warmer climate than today. Other small reptiles were around, as well as some larger amphibian-like creatures. It probably fed on abundant insects and other small vertebrates.” 

The fossilised remains (SWNS)

Now extinct, Dendromaia had long jaws, very sharp teeth, long tails, narrow bodies and thin legs. They were highly agile as they scurried about the undergrowth dining on insects and other small animals.

The earliest synapsids looked like bulky lizards but are in fact more closely related to us than the dinosaurs.

They became the most dominant group before being all but wiped out 250 million years ago when erupting volcanoes in Siberia caused the biggest extinction in history.

Dr Maddin said: “The adult was probably about 8in [20cm] long from the snout to the base of its tail.

“The level of preservation in both individuals – including the delicate structures of small bones supporting the stomach muscles – indicate rapid burial with little or no transport.”

In other words, the creatures perished together where they were found, although the cause is unknown.

Dr Maddin added: “The location of the juvenile individual beneath the hind limb and encircled by the tail of the larger individual resembles a position that would be found among denning animals.

“The animals being the same species, the position of the adult and juvenile in a denning posture and the preservational context are consistent with two predictions of parental care – prolonged offspring attendance and concealment.”

The behaviour is common among many vertebrates today, including birds, reptiles, mammals, fish and amphibians.

The previous earliest example was a 270 million-year-old fossil of the synapsid Heleosaurus scholtzi and its young, found in South Africa. So Dendromaia, which is described in Nature Ecology & Evolution, beats the record by nearly 40 million years.

Additional reporting by agencies



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