New species of animal is discovered in Paraná in a fossil older than dinosaurs A new species of animal was discovered in Ponta Grossa, in Campos Gerais do Paraná, after the analysis of a 400 million year old fossil – that is, older than dinosaurs, which appeared less than 250 million years ago. It is a marine mollusk, of the genus Actinopteria. It was called Actinopteria grahni, in honor of a Swedish professor who lived in Brazil and contributed to the study of fossils in the city region. Find out more below. ✅ Follow g1 Ponta Grossa on WhatsApp The discovery was made by professor Elvio Pinto Bosetti and PhD student in Geography Kevin William Richter, from the State University of Ponta Grossa (UEPG), and published in Historical Biology, a scientific journal of Paleobiology in the United Kingdom. New species of mollusk is discovered in Paraná in a fossil older than dinosaurs André Packer/UEPG The fossil that allowed the identification of the new species was found in a paleontological site located in Jardim Giana, known as Curva 2 – an outcrop rich in fossils already known since the 1980s. The researchers explain that specimens of Actinopteria langei – a mollusk of the same genus and with great similarity to the new species – had already been found in this region of Ponta Grossa. Initially, the proposal was to find more specimens of this mollusk. "Kevin decided that he would do an article with these animals. He said: I'm going to go back to the field where you found them and I'm going to look for more. He found about 20 more. In those 20, a species appeared that the specialist from the National Museum said: look, this is a new species. [...] Finding the species is luck, right? We more or less know where to look, but finding a rare animal is luck", says Professor Elvio. The professor adds that most of the fossils are the result of catastrophes, and that the Ponta Grossa region was a seabed and part of the Paraná basin. There were 1.6 million square kilometers, from Argentina to Tocantins - and, in Ponta Grossa, the layers were preserved. "You have the Devonian period, 400 million years old, which is a sea marked by storms. These storms that fossilize, kill life and the record remains", explains Professor Elvio. New species of mollusk is discovered in Paraná in a fossil older than dinosaurs UEPG The first records of Actinopteria species in the region were made in the 1960s, by paleontologist Setembrino Petri. With the new discovery, the number of known specimens increases and, according to the researchers, allows for a better understanding of the fauna and dispersion patterns between sedimentary basins. “From a paleoecological point of view, the study allowed us to interpret that these species lived in shallow marine environments and were partially buried in the substrate, presenting adaptations related to these paleoenvironments”, explains Kevin. As the research progressed, Elvio and Kevin decided to reinforce the team. Professor Sandro Scheffer, from the National Museum of Rio de Janeiro, specialized in taxonomy and classification, was part of the work. Professor Renato Ghilardi and his postdoctoral student Victor Rodrigues Ribeiro, both from the Universidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp) in Bauru, also contributed to the paleography and distribution of species in South America. The fossil will soon become part of the collection of the UEPG Natural Sciences Museum (MCN). New species of mollusk is discovered in Paraná in a fossil older than dinosaurs UEPG Also read: Remember: Asphalt work is halted on Paraná highway due to fossils of animals older than dinosaurs See images: More than 2,600 fossils older than dinosaurs are discovered during construction work on high voltage towers UFOs in Paraná? Remember other cases that raised suspicions of ET visits in the state The researchers' work New species of mollusk is discovered in Paraná in a fossil older than dinosaurs André Packer/UEPG The researchers explain that it was possible to detect that it was a new species by analyzing and comparing images of the species Actinopteria langei and Actinopteria grahni. The contour of the shell, the morphology of the anterior auricle, the posterior expansion and the radial ornamentation were some of the points examined in which it was possible to realize that it was an animal that had never been catalogued. “The well-developed lobular auricle, although it occupies a small area of ​​the anterior margin, distinguishes this species from all other Brazilian species, particularly Actinopteria lancei, in which the auricle is very small”, explains an excerpt from the article. New species of mollusk is discovered in Paraná in a fossil older than dinosaurs André Packer/UEPG According to Professor Elvio, the next stage of the research is to find more shells of Actinopteria grahni. "We are going to return to this place to find more species like this. The idea is that museums and people who work with this, who had materials like this, reevaluate what they had and believed to be another species. After all, science is a constant reevaluation", explains the professor. Another perspective is the interest that the discovery can generate for the production sector. "The more I know about these ancient seas, the greater the potential for finding natural gas. I lower the cost of production, because where there is organic matter is an indication of where there may be oil or gas", he explains. Tribute to deceased teacher Carl Yngve Grahn died in 2025 Reproduction/Brazilian Society of Paleontology The name of the species honored the Swedish professor Carl Yngve Grahn, who died in 2025, for his contributions to biostatigraphy in Brazil – especially in the Devonian Escarpment in Paraná. "He helped us a lot in the laboratory and worked with us for 20 years. Basically, he was the one who put us in the international world and we decided to pay this tribute", explains Professor Elvio. He reinforces that Grahn was at UEPG several times, passed away at the age of 80 while living in Spain, and lived in Brazil for a long time. “He was a Swede who couldn’t stand the cold anymore”, jokes the professor. According to the Brazilian Society of Paleontology, Dr. Grahn graduated in Geology from Lund University (1976), a PhD from Uppsala University (1982) and obtained the title of Associate Professor from Stockholm University (1993). His academic and professional career included stints at institutions such as the Ohio State University (USA), the Geological Survey of Sweden, the Swedish Museum of Natural History, the University of Rennes (France) and in Brazil, where he worked as a researcher and visiting professor at the State University of Rio de Janeiro (UERJ), as a long-time consultant for Petrobras and at the Palaios Group at the State University of Ponta Grossa (UEPG). His expertise was concentrated in the area of ​​Stratigraphic Paleontology, with an emphasis on the study of chitinozoans, microfossils of great importance for the dating and correlation of Paleozoic rocks. Dr. Grahn was a pioneer in refining the biostratigraphic zoning of Brazilian sedimentary basins (Solimões, Amazonas, Parnaíba, Paraná and Chaco-Paraná), establishing regional and international correlation standards that are still a reference today. "His works were crucial for the dating of Silurian and Devonian sequences, the characterization of glacial events in Gondwana, and the understanding of the paleogeographic evolution of South America. His unique productivity is reflected in scientific articles, book chapters, technical reports and the guidance of new generations of paleontologists. Dr. Grahn was a tireless researcher, with a brilliant and generous mind, always willing to collaborate and share knowledge. [...] In addition to his immense contribution scientist, was known for his gentle character, his unceasing intellectual curiosity, and his deep love of science." Most watched videos from g1 Paraná: See more news from the region at g1 Campos Gerais e Sul