New dinosaur species found in Argentina
New Delhi : Paleontologists in Argentina have come up with a new discovery. A team of multinational scientists have found three well-preserved specimens of a new gigantic dinosaur species, named Lavocatisaurus agrioensis in the province of Neuquen.
According to the scientists, they have discovered the fossils of an adult and two juveniles reptiles which roamed the Earth some 110 million years ago. A detailed study of the remains indicate that the discoverers named Lavocatisaurus agrioensis were herbivorous and belonged to Sauropods saurischian clade of dinosaurs with very long necks, long tails, and a small head. Not to forget, the discovery was made by team effort of both Argentine and Spanish paleontologists.
Besides digging out the remnants of neck, tail and back, the team found “most” of the cranial bones, including the snout, the jaws, and teeth, making it possible to create an “almost complete reconstruction,” noted Jose Luis Carballido, a researcher at the Egidio Feruglio museum and the national council of scientific investigations.
The fossils suggest the adult dinosaur to be 12 meters in length, while the young lizards, scientists believed, measured between six and seven meters long.
Paleontologists believe that the species has moved around and died together in a group from circumstances yet known to the scientific community. The possible reason for its extinction might be unfavourable desert condition at that time, shortage of flora and water etc. Scientists are continuing their research to know more reasons about the demise of herbivores dinosaurs.
“While one can imagine that this group of sauropods could have adapted to move in more arid environments, with little vegetation, little humidity and little water, it’s an area in which you wouldn’t be looking for fossils,” said Carballido.
