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Paleontologists have actually determined a brand-new types of the axolotl genus Ambystoma from numerous fossilized specimens discovered deep in the rocky outcrops of the Mexican state of Hidalgo. Called Ambystoma quetzalcoatlithe types is carefully associated to the living types from the main part of the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt, consisting of the modern-day Mexican axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanumand other lake-dwelling types.
Restoration of the Santa María Amajac paleolake throughout the Late Pliocene; the paleobiodiveristy of the paleolake consisted of microvertebrates such as the ambystomatid salamander Ambystoma quetzalcoatli Paleocharacodon guzmanae and Goodea-like fishes, anurans and many types of terrestrial and marine plants such as Nymphaea sp., Scirpus sp., Typha sp. Image credit: Diana Guzmán-Madrid.
Ambystoma quetzalcoatli lived approximately 4.2 million years back, throughout the Late Pliocene date, in a now-vanished mountain lake in what is today the Santa María Amajac location of Hidalgo.
The types represents the earliest recognized record of the genus Ambystoma in Mexico.
Ambystoma is a salamander genus endemic to North America, called by in 1838,” stated Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México paleontologists Jorge Herrera-Flores and María Patricia Velasco-de León.
“This genus sticks out amongst modern-day salamanders in their distinct developmental biology, identified by paedomorphosis of some types, with adult people keeping larval qualities later on in life.”
“All living types of Ambystoma are dispersed in North America with a geographical variety from southern Canada, through the majority of the United States and the Mexican Plateau.”
“The genus Ambystoma consists of 38 living types, of which 18 take place in Mexico, and 17 are endemic to the nation.”
“The fossil record of Ambystoma is reasonably great, specifically for the United States where fossils of the tiger salamander (Ambystoma tigrinumprevail, and a couple of extinct types have actually been called.”
The skeleton of subadult Ambystoma quetzalcoatliImage credit: Jorge A. Herrera-Flores & María Patricia Velasco-de León, doi: 10.26879/ 1644.
In their research study, the scientists studied numerous fossil salamander specimens gathered in the early 2000s from the Sanctorum fossil website of the Santa María Amajac location.
They then compared the fossils with numerous associated Mexican types, validating that the product represents a brand-new Ambystoma types.
The brand-new types had a mix of skeletal functions not seen in living family members.
The very first is an unique V-shaped opening at the front of the premaxilla bones.
The 2nd is a space at the top of the skull that continues throughout various phases of advancement, a quality related to the retention of juvenile functions into the adult years, called paedomorphosis.
The 3rd is an abnormally shaped bone at the base of the skull– the parasphenoid.
“We discovered 3 crucial morphological elements of the skull that support the identifying of Ambystoma quetzalcoatli as an unique types,” the researchers stated.
The discovery of Ambystoma quetzalcoatli Sheds light on the biodiversity of the ancient Amajac lake system.
The area has actually currently yielded numerous fossil types discovered no place else, consisting of extinct oaks, a beetle, a diatom and a goodeid fish.
The authors argue that geographical seclusion produced by surrounding range of mountains might have promoted the development of distinct regional types.
“The description of a brand-new types of fossil ambystomatid validates the high variety and morphological variation that exist within the Ambystomatidae through its evolutionary history, particularly for the Mexican types,” they concluded.
“Further, the Santa María Amajac location is verified as a foundation to comprehend the origin of contemporary megadiverse animals in Mexico, with more capacity for brand-new finds.”
The group’s paper was released online in May 2026 in the journal Palaeontologia Electronica
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Jorge A. Herrera-Flores & & María Patricia Velasco-de León. 2026. Ambystoma quetzalcoatli sp. nov., a brand-new types of fossil axolotl (Caudata: Ambystomatidae) from the Pliocene of Santa María Amajac, Hidalgo, Mexico. Palaeontologia Electronica 29 (2 ): a19; doi: 10.26879/ 1644
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