Heavy rains in the southern Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul have brought to the surface a surprising discovery that had been hidden for millions of years.
A research team led by paleontologist Rodrigo Temp Muller of the Federal University of Santa Maria discovered a nearly complete dinosaur fossil skeleton.
Associated Press (AP) The specimen is thought to be one of the world’s oldest dinosaurs, dating back 233 million years, it was reported. The fossil was discovered near a reservoir in the city of São João do Polesine, Brazil.
Mueller said: AP The team said they were “surprised” to find the bones, but the discovery has not yet been peer-reviewed or published in a journal.
The creature lived during the Triassic period, which lasted from 252 to 201 million years ago, when all the continents were united into a supercontinent called Pangaea.
Carnivorous dinosaurs
In just four days, the team meticulously excavated the site and carefully extracted a block of rock containing the entire skeleton, which was then transported to a lab for further analysis.
Based on fossils dinosaur It probably measured about 2.5 metres (8.2 ft) in length.
“At first it looked like there were just a few loose bones, but once we exposed the material we saw it was a nearly complete skeleton,” Muller said. The Associated Press.
The Brazilian researchers believe the dinosaur belongs to the Herrerasauridae family, which includes early apex theropod carnivores that lived during the Triassic Period.
The fossil is reportedly remarkably well-preserved and may be the second-most complete herrerasaurid skeleton ever discovered.
The Herrerasauridae is one of the oldest dinosaur families ever identified, dominating what is now parts of Brazil and Argentina. Herrerasauridae were apex predators in their ecosystem and became extinct at the end of this period.
This isn’t the first time Muller’s team has found dinosaur fossils in the area. In 2019, they Another carnivore discovered Triassic dinosaur.
The extremely well-preserved remains were discovered near Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul. Notably, the remains were discovered in 2019. Gnathvorax cabrereialso belongs to the herrerasauridae family and lived around the same time as the newly discovered specimen, approximately 233 million years ago.
The specimen may help bridge the evolutionary gap between early Triassic predators and later, better-known theropods such as Tyrannosaurus rex. G. Cabrerei And this new specimen predates these giants by tens of millions of years.
Fossils exposed to rain
The Triassic played an important role in laying the foundation for the dominance of dinosaurs after the Jurassic. The Triassic was a period of recovery after a major extinction disaster, and involved the emergence of a diverse range of new organisms.
Over the next few months, the team will carry out detailed analysis and fossil They may represent entirely new species or belong to species already identified.
According to APRain can also expose fossils by washing away the sedimentary layers that have buried them for millions of years. This process, called weathering, brings fossils closer to the surface, increasing their chances of being discovered. But it can also damage or destroy fossils if they are not retrieved quickly.
During the excavation, the team found several bones, including a leg bone and a pelvis bone, that had already been eroded by recent heavy rains.
Unfortunately, the state of Rio Grande do Sul was hit by severe floods in May this year, with at least 182 people reported dead.
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