Grad student discovers fossil of first land animal

Along with the first computer and the invention of the two-liter soda bottle, the University can now claim another first -- the tetrapod. Geology graduate student Ted Daeschler announced the discovery of one of the earliest known creatures to have walked on land in last week's issue of Science magazine. While working in a mountainous region of Western Pennsylvania, 180 miles northwest of Philadelphia, he discovered the 365-million-year-old fossilized remains of an amphibian-like creature -- technically called a tetrapod -- which he named Hynerpeton bassetti. Daeschler noticed the fossil after PennDot road construction crews blasted back bedrock in the area, he said. "Finding the tetrapod was a very happy circumstance that has opened up a lot of possibilities," Daeschler said. "The discovery was fortunate, serendipitous -- but we knew that if we persisted we would uncover something." The discovery is important because it provides major clues to the origins of creatures that walk on land -- including humans -- and the particular environments in which they evolved, said Academy of Natural Sciences President Keith Thomson, an adjunct professor at the University who supervised Daeschler's research. Thompson added that he was "just a teeny little bit jealous" of Daeschler because palentologists with doctorates searched for fossils in that area for almost 100 years. Daeschler, who is still working towards his degree, found one his second weekend out. Thomson and Daeschler both said they are optimistic about the impact the discovery will have on future research endeavors. Daeschler said the discovery is important to everyone -- not just vertebrate palentologists. "This is a study of the history of life, and has quite a bit of relevance to us as a part of that life" he said. "These [tetrapods] are our ancestors." Thomson said the discovery will spur on more valuable discoveries in the fields of geology, biology and vertebrate evolution. He added that he was pleased with the discovery, and hoped it would attract other talented students to the field. "It really is very exciting," he said."To be utterly realistic, it will encourage more people to become grad students in the field at the University of Pennsylvania." Daeschler's discovery also brings prestige to the University, University spokesperson Esaul Sanchez said. "This will spread the name of Penn to various audiences," he said. "It will help make Penn a household name for breakthrough research." Sanchez added that PennDot is very eager to participate in further discoveries. "PennDot got very excited and told Daeschler, 'A bulldozer, anything you want, you name it, we're there,'" he said. Thomson also said the discovery will foster closer relations between the University and the Academy of Natural Sciences.