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Local politics, the county, and the world, as viewed by Tammy Maygra Tammy’s views are her own, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Bill Eagle, his pastor, Tammy’s neighbors, Wayne Mayo, Brian Stout, Former President Trump, Henry Heimuller, Joe Biden, Jerry Falwell Jr., Mike Johnson, Ted Cruz, Joe Biden’s dogs, or Claudia Eagle’s Cats. This Tammy’s Take (with the exception of this disclaimer) is not paid for or written by, or even reviewed by anyone but Tammy and she refuses to be bullied by anyone. See Bill’s Standard Disclaimer
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Tusks like warthog teeth (Image Credit of University of Oregon).
Massive Prehistoric Salmon
The Columbia River and the Pacific Northwest is well known for salmon. The lucky people of Oregon who live by the river and like to fish brag about the huge salmon they have caught in their lifetime. And the history of the Columbia River as known for its huge runs of 100 pound fish. Along off the coast of California. Well that was all after the ancient salmon which became extinct, around 4.75 million years ago, O. rastrosus ….. The story begins. A massive prehistoric salmon had tusk-like teeth that protruded from either side of its snout. Capable of reaching 8.8 feet in length by estimations, Oncorhynchus rastrosus, a Pacific species, was the largest salmon ever known to live, over double the size of the largest Pacific salmon alive today, the Chinook salmon, which typically grows to around three feet long. A physical feature reflected in the anatomy of fossilized skulls. Originally it was thought the teeth curved downward like those of a saber-toothed cat, leading the common name of "saber-toothed salmon" to be given upon the species. However new discoveries have found that the ancient salmon shows that the teeth more resembled a warthog's tusks, projecting sideways, not downward. Its a close relative — but not an ancestor — of modern Pacific salmon, especially the sockeye. Like modern Chinook salmon, O. rastrosus would have been born in freshwater rivers and streams but spent the majority of their lives out at sea, returning only to spawn and die. But different than Chinook salmon, whose diets primarily consist of other fish, these ancient fish were filter feeders that dined on plankton, sucking the microscopic creatures into their mouths through sieve-like gill rakers. After finding two complete skulls which were intact one a male and one a female and using modern CT scanning scans revealed specific features on the upper jaw that confirmed the teeth would have extended laterally away from the face — findings that indicate the original saber-toothed reconstruction of O. rastrosus had been flawed. Based on this discovery, the researchers assert that O. rastrosus should be renamed the spike-toothed salmon. While the exact purpose of the teeth is still not clear, they may have helped O. rastrosus defend against predators, fight with other males for spawning, or dig nests in the riverbed by scrapping away gravel. Further examination of the teeth, teams will be looking for patterns of wear which could indicate what exactly they were used for. Whatever they discover will only add to the exciting discovery of this once giant among giants living in our ancient rivers of the Pacific Northwest.
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