Extinct species: This image received from the American Museum of Natural History via Nature Research Press Office shows an artist reconstruction of the ‘Macrauchenia patachonica’. — AFP
PARIS: Charles Darwin, Mr. Evolution himself, didn’t know what to make of the fossils he saw in Patagonia so he sent them to his friend, the renowned paleontologist Richard Owen.
Owen was stumped too. Little wonder. “The bones looked different from anything he knew,” said Michael Hofreiter, senior author of a study published on Tuesday in Nature Communications that finally situates in the tree of life what Darwin called the “strangest animal ever discovered”.
Already a subscriber? Log in.
Limited time offer:
Just RM5 per month.
Cancel anytime. No ads. Auto-renewal. Unlimited access to the web and app. Personalised features. Members rewards.
Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel for breaking news alerts and key updates!
