Brazil uncovers new Triassic reptile and Devonian mollusk fossils

Scientists in Brazil have identified a new Middle Triassic reptile species, *Silescelida acristata*, from fossil remains discovered in Dona Francisca, Rio Grande do Sul, within the UNESCO‑listed Geopark Quarta Colônia. The slender, quadrupedal reptile, comparable in size to a small crocodile, belongs to a lineage close to early archosauriforms that preceded dinosaurs and modern crocodiles.

Separately, researchers in the state of Paraná reported a 400‑million‑year‑old marine mollusk, a new species of the genus *Actinopteria* named *Actinopteria grahni*, recovered from the Curva 2 paleontological site near Ponta Grossa. The find sheds light on Devonian shallow‑sea ecosystems and, because the fossil‑bearing sediments also indicate organic matter, it may help locate future natural‑gas reservoirs.