Scientists found animal remains that pre-date dinosaurs (photo: Télam/dsl)
Scientists have discovered an extensive collection of microfossils more than 200 million years old in the province of San Juan.
The fossils were found in an area of 80m2 by researchers from the National University of San Juan (UNSJ) in Marayes, around 150km east of the provincial capital. The concentration of bones from small animals have led the team to believe that they were prey to larger animals that fed near the site.
The scientists say the discovery, which includes over 100 specimens and up to a dozen unknown species, is vital to understanding more about life during the Upper Triassic period.
The prehistoric age occurred when the Earth’s landmass was one giant super-continent, and pre-dates the era when dinosaurs were the dominant species.
“It is a new faunistic discovery, with the implication that we can find out more about a unique period in the evolution of vertebrates, before dinosaurs became dominant,” Ricardo Martínez, chief paleontologist of the UNSJ’s Institute and Museum of Natural Sciences told Télam.
“It is not just any moment in evolution – it includes a dozen unknown species and is filling us in about an era that we did not have records of before.”
So far only about 3% of the relevant area has been inspected, with scientists hopeful of finding many more fossils from the era.
The latest find comes after a series of major dinosaur discoveries in Argentina and Latin American in recent months. In May, paleontologists announced two important finds in Patagonia, including what is likely to be the world’s largest ever dinosaur skeleton.
Meanwhile, in September scientists officially presented the dreadnoughtus schrani, a massive dinosaur discovered in Santa Cruz in 2005 (see video below). Also in September, scientists in Mexico found what is thought to be the world’s largest concentration of dinosaur fossils in the northern Chihuahuan Desert.
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