Scientists in Argentina have found fossilised bones of one of the world's oldest dinosaur species high up in the Andes Mountains, the CONICET scientific research council announced Wednesday.
A paleontological team led by the institute found the almost complete skeleton of the small long-necked reptile, named Huayracursor Jaguensis, at an altitude of 3,000 metres (9,842 feet) in La Rioja Province in Argentina's northwest.
The team found part of the dinosaur's skull, a complete vertebral column extending to the tail, and nearly intact forelimbs and hindlimbs, said CONICET.
The discovery was published in Nature magazine, with the authors saying it could inform studies into evolution.
Agustín Martinelli, one of the authors of the report, said that the Huayracursor is estimated to have roamed the earth between “230 and 225 million years ago, making it one of the oldest dinosaurs in the world.”
The species lived at the end of the Triassic period, an era that saw profound changes in terrestrial ecosystems and during which the first dinosaurs and the ancestors of mammals started to appear, the researchers said.
Although the discovered species is part of a lineage of herbivorous dinosaurs that includes long-necked giants, the researchers noted that an adult Huayracursor Jaguensis only measured about two meters in length and weighed approximately 18 kilograms (40 pounds).
The article’s authors estimate that, due to the almost complete nature of the skeleton, it will become a reference point for those studying the early evolution of dinosaurs.
The discovery was made in Quebrada de Santo Domingo, an area rich in fossils. Over the last decade, the same site has yielded remains of other Triassic species, including rincosaurs and cynodonts.
"The place where we work is as inhospitable as it is fascinating: strong winds, low temperatures and spectacular landscapes," explained Martín Hechenleitner, a CONICET researcher at CRILAR (Regional Centre for Scientific Research and Technology Transfer in La Rioja) and a lead author of the study.
"The name Huayracursor pays homage to the wind, while Jaguensis recalls the nearby village of Jagüé, located about 40 kilometres from the site," he added.
CONICET researchers Sebastián Rocher, Lucas Fiorelli, Jeremías Taborda and Julia Desojo were also part of the team who made the discovery.
– TIMES/AFP/NA
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