Dinosaur Fossil Found in Rio Grande do Sul after Rains
Skeleton, almost complete, could be from one of the oldest families on record
Recent rains in Rio Grande do Sul led researchers to discover a dinosaur fossil. The expedition led by paleontologist Rodrigo Temp Müller, from the Federal University of Santa Maria (UFSM), identified the partially exposed bones in São João do Polêsine, a town of 2,649 inhabitants, located 221 km from Porto Alegre.
The specimen could be the second most complete herrerasaurid— which lived about 230 million years ago—ever discovered in the world.
The bones indicate that the dinosaur reached about 2.5 meters in length. Once the analysis is completed, researchers will begin a new phase of investigation to determine if the specimen belongs to a known species or if it is a new one.
The study results could be published next year.
Besides the skeleton, the paleontologists said they have been recovering fossils in other municipalities in the region.
The rains, which began in April and continued through the following month, affected 478 of the 497 municipalities in Rio Grande do Sul, according to the state government. There were 182 recorded deaths and 31 people are still missing.