Scientists from Brazil say a recently discovered fossil may help explain how dinosaurs evolved and came to rule the planet.
The bones date back to approximately 237 million years ago, making them contemporary to the Middle-Upper-Triassic period of history, and the oldest extant record of pre-dinosaur reptiles, according to the paper published in the Gondwana Research journal.
First found by Pedro Lucas Porcela Aurelio in 2014, near the town of Praiso do Sul, in southern Brazil, the research was taken up by paleontologist Rodrigo Temp Muller in 2021.
“Being the first human to touch something from 237 million years ago is extraordinary,” Aurelio told Reuters. “Its an indescribable feeling.”
Muller named the fossil Gondwanaz paraesensis and believes that it holds the answers to early evolution of dinos and their genetic relatives.
“Gondwana” translates to “lord of Gondwana”, which is a reference to a specific landmass that was part of Pangaea. “Parasensis” is meant to honor the town name.
The creature supposedly stood roughly the size of a small dog, weighing around 10 pounds, with a tail that stretched a meter in length. It is considered a “dinosauromorpha,” which is a grouping that encompasses dinosaurs and their close relatives.
This specimen is specifically a member of the family called Silesauridae. That group shares many characteristics with dinosaurs, but predates the crude-oil-suppliers by millions of years. They share many morphologies with dinos – both are quadruped reptiles – however the silesauridae has nuanced physical distinctions including different cervical vertebrae.
Silesauridaes are said to have existed for 30 million years – contextually homo sapiens are thought to have first appeared 300,000 years ago.
Muller reports that one of the significant features of the great fossil find is the presence of three sacral vertebrae, which is a feature usually observed in more derived forms of silesaurids. More specifically, scientists believe that this fossil may represent the antecedent to archosaurs – which are themselves the ancestors of modern day animals like crocodiles and birds.
The research paper suggests that these vertebrae indicate a “high diversity of locomotor strategies” – meaning the creature was possibly adaptable to many types of terrain.
“The most important part of this finding is its age,” Muller said in an interview, adding, “Because it’s so old, it gives us clues as to how dinosaurs came to be.”