– Heavy rains in southern Brazil uncovered the fossil remains of a carnivorous dinosaur from the Triassic period around 233 million years ago.
– The dinosaur belongs to the Herrerasauridae family and was an eight-foot long bi-pedal reptile that lived during the time of the supercontinent Pangea.
– This would make it one of the oldest dinosaur fossils ever discovered. The oldest confirmed are 231 million years old.
– The fossil was found at a site called Quarta Colônia Geopark in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. It is remarkably well-preserved.
– Paleontologists are rushing to study and protect the fossil as more heavy rains continue eroding the soil and threatening other fossils at the site.
– The recent discovery highlights how climate change is intensifying rains in the region, both uncovering buried treasures but also putting them at risk of being destroyed before scientists can uncover their secrets.
– If confirmed as over 233 million years old, this fossil could provide valuable new insights into the earliest days of dinosaur evolution on Earth.
Source: Popular Mechanics
