Heavy rainfalls reveal Dinosaur skeletons
In Rio Grande do Sul, record rainfall in May leads to devastating floods, resulting in the deaths of dozens of people. After the water receded, remains of a Dinosaur were unearthed.
Scientists in Brazil discovered a nearly complete fossilized skeleton of a 233 million-year-old Dinosaur in the state of Rio Grande do Sul. Heavy rainfall in the state accelerated the erosion process and helped uncover the skeleton, according to paleontologist Rodrigo Temp Müller, whose team from the University of Santa Maria discovered the bones in May and is now presenting the find.
The findings of the Brazilian paleontologists have not yet been confirmed by other colleagues or published in a peer-reviewed journal, but they believe the skeleton belongs to an early Saurier species of the Herrerasauridae family. These dinosaurs lived during the Triassic period when all existing landmasses were still part of the supercontinent Pangaea.
The size of the bones suggests that the discovered dinosaur was up to 2.5 meters long, according to the Brazilian team speaking to the Associated Press. Rodrigo Temp Müller said, "At first, it seemed like just a few isolated bones, but when we excavated the material, we realized we had a nearly complete skeleton." There might only be another skeleton of this type that is better preserved.
The researchers will now conduct investigations to determine if the fossil belongs to an already known species or if they have discovered a new one. These studies are expected to take several months as they must be carried out meticulously to avoid damage.
Fossils often come to light after heavy rains as water removes the covering sediment. In Rio Grande do Sul, record rainfall was measured in this year. This led to devastating floods in May, resulting in the deaths of at least 182 people, as reported by the state's civil defense.
Müller stated that due to the heavy rains, more fossils are coming to light but it is a race against time as the rain can also destroy them.
The discovery of the dinosaur skeleton in Rio Grande do Sul has sparked interest in the field of Archaeology, both locally and globally. This well-preserved fossil, believed to be an early Saurier species, could potentially rewrite our understanding of Dinosaurians during the Triassic period, given its potential to represent a new species.
