{
  "id": 17068335,
  "title": "Ancient Alberta fish fossils reveal evolutionary secrets of modern species",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/29/ancient-alberta-fish-fossils-reveal-evolutionary-secrets-of-modern",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-10-29T14:00:01.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Phys.org",
    "slug": "phys-org",
    "url": "https://phys.org/news/2026-10-ancient-alberta-fish-fossils-reveal.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Rare, complete fossils of ancient fish discovered in Alberta are providing new insights into the evolutionary history of freshwater fish that once thrived in North America at the end of the age of the dinosaurs. Donald Brinkman, Emeritus Researcher at the Royal Tyrrell Museum, explains that while marine fish are well-studied, freshwater fish remain poorly understood due to the scarcity of complete fossils. The key to unlocking this knowledge lies in the unique site known as Pisces Point in central Alberta, which contains an abundance of well-preserved fish skeletons from ancient freshwater systems.\n\nTo study these delicate fossils, Dr. Lisa Van Loon and her colleagues at Western University utilized the Canadian Light Source (CLS) at the University of Saskatchewan. This powerful synchrotron facility allowed them to examine the internal structure of the fossils in unprecedented detail, despite their small size and the black rocks in which they are embedded. By analyzing the morphology of these skeletons, the researchers were able to digitally dissect out individual parts, such as the jaw, and compare them to isolated bones found in other specimens.\n\nThe team focused on two particular groups of fish: polymixiiforms and percomorphs. Polymixiiforms, the earliest members of a group now exclusively found in deep ocean waters, were previously thought to have lived exclusively in marine environments. However, the new research reveals that these fish inhabited fresh water during the Cretaceous period, 66 million years ago. Percomorphs, a group that includes modern relatives like tuna and perch, were also found to have existed in fresh water during the same time period.\n\nThese findings, published in the Canadian Journal of Zoology, shed light on the diversity and evolutionary history of these fish groups, as well as the broader steps leading to the modern ecosystems we see today. As Dr. Brinkman notes, \"It's providing information on the history of life—what were the steps leading to where we are today?\" The research underscores the importance of studying these ancient freshwater fish to better understand the evolutionary pathways that have shaped the aquatic world we know today.",
  "summary": "Rare, complete fossils of ancient fish discovered in Alberta are helping fill in the gaps in our knowledge about which freshwater fish were living in North America at the end of the age of the dinosaurs, and how they evolved into their modern descendants.",
  "key_points": [
    "Rare, complete fish fossils found in Alberta reveal evolutionary secrets.",
    "Synchrotron facility at CLS enables detailed analysis of delicate fossils.",
    "Polymixiiforms and percomorphs existed in fresh water during Cretaceous period."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}