Researchers from the Federal University of Santa Maria (UFSM) found a dinosaur fossil over 230 million years old in Rio Grande do Sul! The discovery was made possible after heavy rains hit the state.
Dinosaur fossil measuring 2.5 metres long was found in the state of Rio Grande do Sul
The region where the fossil was found dates back to the Triassic period, the first of the Mesozoic Era, a period long after the massive extinction that gave rise to the first dinosaurs. The team, led by palaeontologist Rodrigo Temp Müller, carried out excavations in the region for around 4 days, when they identified the partially exposed fossil and managed to transport a stone block that contained the animal.
Paleontólogos realizam escavação de fóssil encontrado na parte central do Rio Grande do Sul
After several hours of preparation and analysis, the researchers were able to identify the characteristics of the fossilised bones, which belong to a carnivorous dinosaur approximately 2.5 metres long, from the group called Herrerasauridae, which lived between Brazil and Argentina.
This is considered the most complete fossil ever discovered by the UFSM research group! Now, the bones will be investigated to find out if they belong to an already known species or if they are a new species of dinosaur, which will be a huge achievement for CAPPA.
