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| Saber-Toothed Vegetarian |
The leaf-crunching animal, about the size of a large dog, lived260 million years ago in what is now Brazil, researchers report inFriday's edition of the journal Science. Its upper canine teethwere nearly 5 inches long.
Such large teeth are more often the mark of a meat-eatinganimal, used to capture and kill prey.
The enormous canines probably were used by the plant-eatinganimals to fight each other or protect against predators, saidresearch leader Juan Carlos Cisneros of the University of Piaui innortheastern Brazil.
For example, they might have fought for territory, resources orfemales, like the modern musk deer, which also have a pair oflarge, tusklike teeth, he said via email.
"These situations are extremely important for the survival ofan individual and the success of a species," he said. Discoveringanimals like this "shows us how nature is extremely creative inproviding solutions for several life tasks."
In addition to its saber shaped fangs, the newly discoveredanimal, named Tiarajudens eccentricus, had rows of teeth on theroof of its mouth for chewing, the researchers said. The lower jawthat was found was incomplete, but they expect it would have hadsimilar rows of teeth.
Tiarajudens was part of a group of animals known as anomodonts,sometimes called "mammal-like reptiles" and a major plant-eaterof their time.
The discovery provides novel insights into early toothdifferences in these ancient animals and the evolution of planteating and its complex social interactions, commented JoergFroebisch of Humboldt University in Berlin, who was not part ofCisneros' research team.
The evolution of saber teeth is exceedingly uncommon inplant-eating animals, said Froebisch, calling the canines in theBrazilian anomodont "extraordinary."
He said the animal seems to belong to a new, unusual group ofanomodonts that lived on the ancient southern super-continent nowcalled Gondwana. Before drift formed the present continents,Gondwana included what is now Antarctica, South America, Africa,Madagascar and Australia.
Sources: http://www.cbsnews.com
