U.S. · Wired
Scientists Have Flagged a New Fossil Species of Axolotl in Mexico
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Researchers at the Zaragoza School of Advanced Studies (FES Zaragoza) at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) have identified a new fossil species of axolotl in the state of Hidalgo.
Key facts
- Researchers at the Zaragoza School of Advanced Studies (FES Zaragoza) at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) have identified a new fossil species of axolotl in the state of Hidalgo
- This last characteristic is particularly significant, as modern axolotls have 16 or fewer trunk vertebrae
- To establish the fossils’ identity, the researchers compared them with 13 living Ambystoma species, including several endemic to Mexico, such as the Xochimilco axolotl ( Ambystoma mexicanum )
- The researchers examined a dozen fossil salamander specimens collected in the early 2000s by the FES Zaragoza Paleobotany Research Group
Summary
Named Ambystoma quetzalcoatli, it is the first fossil salamander species to be formally described in Mexico and the oldest known record of the genus Ambystoma ever documented in the country. The fossils were discovered in the municipality of Atotonilco el Grande, in Hidalgo, a region that was once home to an extensive freshwater lake system covering roughly 85 square kilometers. The researchers examined a dozen fossil salamander specimens collected in the early 2000s by the FES Zaragoza Paleobotany Research Group. The remains were initially identified as belonging to a species of the genus Ambystoma, the group that includes modern axolotls.