Scientists Uncover Mysterious 95-Million-Year-Old Plant-Eating Dinosaur That Could Rewrite Prehistoric History
The Discovery Of ‘Astigmasaura Genuflexa’ In Argentina
Flavio Bellardini/CONICETThe unearthed fossil of Astigmasaura genuflexa in Argentina’s Patagonia.
The fossilized remains of Astigmasaura genuflexa were discovered by paleontologists at the El Orejano locality in the Neuquén Basin in Patagonia. The identification of the dinosaur was just announced in the scientific journal Cretaceous Research.
According to a press statement from the National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), the fossil was initially discovered in 2017 after the chance discovery of oil in a nearby field. During the dig, workers came across the articulated skeleton of the dinosaur in the lower levels of the Huincul Formation.
Flavio Bellardini/CONICETPaleontologists at the excavation site in Patagonia working to remove the fossilized bones.
“These sandy and clayey levels, where the fossilized bones were found, corresponded to a section of a meandering river, which had a sinuous or curved, snake-like path, indicating that the remains, carried by a low-energy current, became stranded on one of the many sand bars that formed during its course,” explained Flavio Bellardini, a paleontologist with CONICET.
While the front half of the dinosaur’s remains were eventually swept away by the current and did not fossilize, the back half remained preserved for tens of millions of years until they were unearthed by Bellardini and his team.
The Identification Of A New Dinosaur
Per the press release, the excavation required five paleontological campaigns and more than 30 days of fieldwork.
Post Comment