Brazilian researchers discover dinosaur fossil after heavy rains in Rio Grande do Sul

A team of Brazilian scientists has discovered a skeleton of what they believe could be one of the oldest dinosaurs in the world after Heavy rains fell in the state of Rio Grande do Sul accelerate the natural process of erosion.

The fossil, found near a reservoir in the municipality of Sao Joao do Polesine, is about 233 million years old, according to paleontologist Rodrigo Temp Müller, who led the team from the Federal University of Santa Maria that found the bones in May.

The finding has not been corroborated by other scientists or published in a scientific journal.

Temp Müller believes the dinosaur lived during the Triassic period, when all the continents were part of a single land mass called Pangaea. Dinosaurs are thought to have first evolved during this time.

This apex predator (a predator that sits at the top of the food chain), discovered in Rio Grande do Sul, belongs to the group known as herrerasaurids, a family of dinosaurs that used to roam the lands that today make up Brazil and Argentina, according to a fact sheet about the discovery shared with The Associated Press.

The size of the bones reveals that the dinosaur would have reached about 2.5 meters (8.2 feet) in length, according to the document.

Temp Müller said he and his team were “very excited and surprised” by their findings.

After about four days of excavation, the team transported a block of rock containing the specimen back to the laboratory, where they conducted tests.

“At first it looked like just a few isolated bones, but as we exposed the material, we could see that we had an almost complete skeleton,” explained Temp Müller.

The expert believes that his discovery is the second most complete skeleton of this type of dinosaur.

Researchers will now carry out investigations to determine whether the fossil belongs to an already known species or whether they have found a new type. That work is expected to take several months as the process is meticulous to ensure no damage is caused.

Fossils are more likely to appear after rainfall, as water exposes the materials by removing the sediment covering them, a phenomenon known as weathering.

Rio Grande do Sul recorded record amounts of rainfall a few months ago. This led to devastating floods in May that killed at least 182 people, state authorities said on July 8.

Extreme weather events are more likely because of climate change, which is caused primarily by the burning of oil, gas and coal.

Müller said more fossils were appearing due to heavy rains, which is why he has started a race against time to extract the remains found before they decompose.

In the field, his team observed “a leg bone and a pelvic bone… they were already being destroyed due to the rain,” he said.

Müller hopes that the discovery will help to clarify the origins of dinosaurs.

“Having new, well-preserved fossils available certainly helps us better understand this topic, which remains highly controversial,” he said.

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