Sciences. A new dinosaur fossil has been found by Cappa/UFSM in the municipality of Restinga Seca

Quoted by UFSM News Agency

One A study published in the scientific journal The Anatomical Record On November 16 he presented the second dinosaur record to the municipality of Restinga Sica. The study was conducted by researchers Mauricio S. Garcia, Flavio A. Britto, Sergio F. Cabrera, Lucio R. da Silva that it Rodrigo T. Mullerfrom the Quarta Colonia Paleontological Research Support Center (CAPA) at UFSM.

This discovery is of particular importance given that dinosaur fossils are still rare in the municipality of Restinga Seca, in Rio Grande do Sul. The specimen in question consists of a left ilium – a bone that forms part of the waist – which was discovered by Deonatan Cabrera While helping his father Sergiolooking for fossils.

Characteristics of the bones indicate that the fossil belongs to a dinosaur from a group called Herrerasauria. Worldwide, dinosaurs from this group are known from Brazil, Argentina and the United States. Surprisingly, the study revealed more similarities with forms found in North America.

Herrerasaurs include an interesting group of dinosaurs that existed about 230 million years ago, in the Triassic Period. These animals represented the first medium- to large-sized predatory dinosaurs, reaching a length of up to 6 meters.

Although the fragmentary state of the new fossil prevents its identification to the species level, the discovery suggests a hidden diversity of Triassic dinosaurs in Rio Grande do Sul, as they differ from all other Brazilian herrerasaurs.

This fact highlights the importance of analyzing fragmentary specimens to more precisely determine the extent of diversity of extinct forms. Ultimately, this discovery highlights Brazil as an important site for paleontological research, providing valuable information about the early stages of dinosaur evolution and adding an important chapter to the rich history of dinosaurs in South America.

The research received support from CNPq and Capes and was developed as part of Mauricio Silva García’s master’s thesis, through the Graduate Program in Animal Biodiversity at UFSM, under the supervision of paleontologist Rodrigo Tempe Müller, from Cappa/UFSM.

The fossil is included in the scientific collection of the Paleontological Research Support Center of Quarta Colônia/UFSM in São João do Polícin.

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