It is the oldest long-neck in the earth’s history: In Brazil, paleontologists have discovered the remains of a previously unknown dinosaur species. 225 million years old, the fossils of three skeletons, the researchers close to the town of Agudo in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, found in the South of the country.
As an analysis by a team of Rodrigo Temp Müller from the University of Santa Maria in Brazil showed that the found fossils of the sauropods. So they were once closely related with giants like Brontosaurus or Diplodocus which are among the largest known Land animals ever.
Interestingly, the new type, called the researchers macro Collum itaquii, but for another reason. You close a gap in the development of the sauropods, the researchers write in the journal “Biology Letters” of the British science Academy, the Royal Society.
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so Far, only little was known about the first steps in the Evolution of the herbivorous long-necks, the precursor appeared for the first time in front of about 233 million years ago, towards the end of the Triassic. Not that the early sauropods were so huge and also not-so-long necks possessed. The small animals then within a few million years ago, the widely-used giants with long necks and relatively small heads, were, was, so far, to explain the absence of finds inadequate.
For a little more clarity, the three skeletons, which were tightly discovered together lying now In comparison to older findings macro Collum itaquii was a lot bigger than its counterparts that lived earlier. The thigh bones of the animals, the researchers showed. Also interesting: While the neck of the ilbet sauropod was, shrank to the size of the skull. In addition, the new species had over teeth that were adapted to a plant-based diet.
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All these steps led finally to the well-known dinosaurs with the long, thin necks, and bulky bodies. So the animals were able to reach the plants, which hung very high, and some paleontologists suggest that it was a key competitive advantage of the sauropods. And, apparently, has formed this advantage in the Norium out – of that epoch of the earth’s history, in the macro Collum itaquii before 225 million years ago lived.
The information on the body size of sauropods are among researchers, however, controversial, since many fossils are incompletely preserved, and a few complete skeletons have been discovered. But a big sauropod species may have reached lengths of up to forty metres and were up to 17 meters high.
her weight was impressive. Researchers estimate that they were at least fifty tons. But also because in the last few years, doubt. Some sauropods were probably not quite as huge as previously thought. Scientists had corrected weight data, therefore, already several times to the bottom.
Video: secrets of the ancient demise of the dinosaurs
BBC
joe