Heavy rains causing historic flooding in southern Brazil in May have uncovered a nearly intact dinosaur fossil dating back about 200 million years.
Scientists first discovered the fossil in May in the city of São João do Polesine, located approximately 280 kilometers west of Porto Alegre.
A part of the dinosaur fossil discovered in Brazil. (Source: AFP).
Initial findings help identify the fossil as a specimen of the Herrerasauridae dinosaur family. This family consists of bipedal animals with long tails that were found in areas now known as Brazil and Argentina.
This fossil dates back to the Triassic period, approximately 250-300 million years ago.
Rodrigo Temp Muller, the head of the research team, stated that this could be the second complete fossil of the Herrerasauridae dinosaur discovered to date.
A team of paleontologists from the Federal University of Santa Maria spent four days excavating to separate the stone layers containing the nearly complete dinosaur fossil and transport it to the research center.
Previously, the most complete fossil of this species was found in the same area in 2014. This discovery allowed scientists to identify a new species with hook-shaped claws, named “gnathovorax cabreirai.”
The latest fossil will undergo a series of analyses before researchers can determine if this specimen belongs to the same species. This process may take several months.
In May, heavy rains resulted in over 180 fatalities in Brazil and caused significant damage to the country’s infrastructure.
These floods accelerated soil erosion, helping researchers to discover the fossil early; however, the rainwater also destroyed many small fossil pieces.
Paleontologists are focusing on excavating to search for intact fossil fragments.
