Il fossile di un minuscolo pesce osseo dal Triassico è stato scoperto sul Monte San Giorgio. Con una lunghezza di soli 35 millimetri, la specie Marcopoloichthys mirigioliensis è tra i pesci fossili più piccoli. I suoi resti sono stati ritrovati, appunto, sul Monte San Giorgio nel Ticino meridionale, in depositi marini risalenti a 242 milioni di anni fa.
In un articolo scientifico pubblicato sullo Swiss Journal of Palaeontology, Gloria Arratia dell’Università del Kansas, Toni Bürgin del Museo di Storia naturale di San Gallo e Heinz Furrer dell’Istituto di paleontologia dell’Università di Zurigo descrivono in dettaglio la nuova specie fossile. Si tratta della più piccola specie conosciuta del genere Marcopoloichthys. Le altre quattro specie, più grandi, provengono da depositi coevi dei Grigioni, dell’Italia settentrionale e della Cina meridionale.
I piccoli pesci furono scoperti già nel 1968 durante il più grande scavo paleontologico diretto dall’Università di Zurigo in località Mirigioli sempre sul Monte San Giorgio. Per molto tempo, però, i fossili di pesci furono messi in ombra dai ritrovamenti di sauri marini sempre provenienti dal Monte San Giorgio.
L'antenato delle trote sul San Giorgio
Il Quotidiano 15.06.2024, 19:00
In gita sul Monte San Giorgio
RSI Info 27.03.1999, 11:41
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