One of the world's ancient dinosaurs was discovered in Argentina – it simply does not have a head.
Scientists working in La Rioja have discovered a 230-million-year-old fossil in the foothills of a mountain range. Research published in Natureintroduces us to a new long-necked species called Huyracursor jaguensislived in the Late Triassic. The nearly complete skeleton was found in a rugged area that has recently become a treasure trove of Triassic discoveries.
“This is one of those discoveries that don’t happen very often,” said Martin Hechenleitner, a CONICET researcher at La Rioja’s Regional Center for Scientific Research and Technology Transfer, in press release.
“According to our estimates, Waircursor It must have been between 230 and 225 million years old, making it one of the oldest dinosaurs in the world,” added Agustin Martinelli, CONICET researcher at Argentina's Bernardino Rivadavia Museum of Natural Sciences.
Read more: The oldest dinosaur was Nyasasauruswhich lived in the Middle Triassic and was 3 feet tall
Discovery of one of the oldest dinosaurs in the world
Waircursor was early sauropodomorpha group of herbivorous dinosaurs known for their long necks. Although its size appears small, approximately 6 feet in length (two meters) and about 40 pounds, Waircursor was larger than other bagualasaurs that lived at the same time in Argentina.
This size is important because it makes this new species an important step in the evolutionary success story of its dinosaur family.
“Waircursor is new because it has two key features: a significantly longer neck and a larger size than most of its contemporaries. These aspects confirm the very early and synchronous emergence of both characteristics, which were fundamental to the evolutionary history of sauropodomorphs,” Hechenleitner said in a press release.
The team was able to estimate the size thanks to the discovery of an almost complete skeleton, including parts of the skull, spinal column, forelimbs and hindlimbs.
Exploring unexplored Triassic territory
The research team that discovered the new dinosaur was part of the first group of scientists to explore the western region of La Rioja province. Before the expedition, this section of La Rioja had not been explored by scientists due to the difficult terrain and weather conditions.
The difficult research turned out to be justified: paleontologists discovered a sufficient number Triassic fauna over the past decade, including a new dinosaur.
“This new region, located in a largely unexplored geological basin, holds the promise of major discoveries,” Martinelli said in a press release. “Rarely in life can one say that completely new places have been discovered with a fauna that is amazing in its preservation and abundance.”
The new dinosaur's name was inspired by its home. Waircursor a hint of the region's strong winds and jaguensis this is a reference to Yagüe, a village near where the fossil was found.
Expand your search in La Rioja
The discovery of one of the world's oldest dinosaurs holds promise for the future of paleontology. Because of the completeness of the fossil, this specimen will likely be used to expand the picture of the evolution of early sauropodomorphs.
In addition, the research team hopes to expand their expedition into new territory.
“Based on stratigraphic and sedimentological studies, we were able to recognize that the Triassic areas of the Northern Precordillera belong to a sedimentary basin that developed independently of other basins in southwestern Gondwana. This opens the possibility of extending research even further west into the Andes,” said Sebastian Roche, author of the paper.
Read more: Dinosaur highway with sauropod tracks gives insight into life in the Middle Jurassic
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