Estudo soluciona mistério da evolução da armadura óssea em répteis

22 de maio de 2026

Reportado por IA

Uma nova análise evolutiva demonstrou que os ossos dérmicos em répteis se desenvolveram de forma independente em múltiplas linhagens de lagartos, em vez de terem surgido de um único ancestral. Pesquisadores rastrearam a característica ao longo de 320 milhões de anos utilizando fósseis e métodos computacionais. Os goannas australianos se destacam por terem perdido a armadura e a recuperado milhões de anos mais tarde.

O estudo, publicado no Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, combinou dados de 643 espécies vivas e extintas. Foi determinado que a maioria dos lagartos adquiriu osteodermas há mais de 100 milhões de anos, durante os períodos Jurássico Superior e Cretáceo Inferior. Essas estruturas ósseas provavelmente auxiliaram na sobrevivência diante de mudanças climáticas e predadores na época de dinossauros como o Brachiosaurus e o Stegosaurus.

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