Skeleton of One of World's Oldest Dinosaur Discovered After Heavy Rains in Brazil

Researchers have discovered one of the oldest dinosaur skeletons ever found after heavy rains in southern Brazil exposed the remains. The fossils, identified as belonging to the Herrerasaurid family, were found near a reservoir in São João do Polêsine in Rio Grande do Sul. Dating back approximately 233 million years, this discovery adds valuable insight into the early stages of the dinosaur lineage. This is prepared by SSP.

The excavation team, led by Rodrigo Temp Müller from the Federal University of Santa Maria, was surprised to find the nearly complete skeleton, which measures around 2.5 meters (8.2 feet) long. While the exact species of the dinosaur has yet to be determined, the discovery is significant as Herrerasaurids were among the earliest apex predators during the Triassic period, which lasted from 252 million to 201 million years ago. This period marked a crucial evolutionary phase when dinosaurs began to dominate the Earth, which was then unified under the supercontinent Pangea.

Müller's team conducted a meticulous excavation over four days, uncovering a block of rock containing the skeleton and transporting it to the lab for detailed analysis. Early indications suggest the fossil could be one of the most complete Herrerasaurid skeletons ever found, second only to other notable discoveries in the region.

Heavy rains accelerated the natural erosion processes that uncovered these fossils, a phenomenon that can both reveal and damage specimens. The region, part of the Quarta Colônia Geopark, has experienced significant rainfall recently, leading to floods that claimed at least 182 lives.

The findings are not yet peer-reviewed, but they have the potential to enhance our understanding of the earliest meat-eating dinosaurs and their evolution. The discovery follows prior significant finds by Müller's team, including the 2019 discovery of another Herrerasaurid, Gnathovorax cabreirai, in the same region.

The team now faces a race against time to recover as many exposed fossils as possible before further rains can erode or destroy them. These efforts are crucial for preserving valuable data that could help bridge the evolutionary gap between early Triassic predators and later theropods like Tyrannosaurus Rex.

Müller highlights the importance of such discoveries in advancing our knowledge about the origins and evolution of dinosaurs, emphasizing the need for continued excavation efforts to protect and study these ancient remains.