Researchers reveal Real Identity of Darwin's Strangest Animal Ever Discovered

[Saifullah Sani]

With the help of molecular analysis of 12,000-year-old fossils' protein molecules, researchers have been able to reveal the origins of Charles Darwin's strangest animal ever discovered from South America. The focus of the study was the animals' native ungulates, a group of hoofed mammals, which included Toxodo.

Size of Toxodo is comparable to an elephant and body is similar to rhinoceros. It will surprise you that its teeth are like that of rats and head resembles the hippopotamus.

Findings of the study have been published in Nature Journal. The researchers successfully performed the task of examining 48 fossils from the remains of two of Darwin's discovery in Argentina and Uruguay, thanks to a technique called 'proteomic analysis'. The discovered animals were Macrauchenia patachonica and Toxodon platensis.

Darwin explained at that time that the Toxodon and its kin were a family member of the rodents, but other experts had to say that they were more related to elephants and Aardvarks. "This is what puzzled Darwin and his collaborator Richard Owen so much in the early 19th century. With all of these conflicting signals, they couldn't say whether these ungulates were related to giant rodents, or elephants, or camels, or what have you".

The protein analysis of the ancient fossils has now unraveled the mystery by showing that such creatures belonged to condylarths, a mammalian group. The stint was performed by Ian Barnes of London's Natural History Museum.

Condylarths have a close relation with the group that includes horses, tapirs and rhinos. Barnes said their study has resolved one of the last unresolved major problems in mammalian evolution. The researchers couldn't extract DNA from the fossils, but managed to coax the longer-lasting collagen from the remains. The significance of collagen is the fact that it is the main structural protein in various types of tissues, including bone and skin.

Researchers reveal Real Identity of Darwin's Strangest Animal Ever Discovered | newsmaine