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Heavy rains in southern Brazil have exposed the remains of one of the humans ’s oldest dinosaurs , researchers say .
paleontologist found the fossils next to a source in the municipality of São João do Polêsine in May , The Associated Press reportedon July 17 . The team claims that the dinosaur , which has yet to be formally identified , is around 233 million age older and belonged to a family of Triassic predatory animal squall Herrerasauridae .
An example of a Herrerasauridae dinosaur skeleton (not the one discovered in Brazil). Herrerasaurus, pictured here on display in the Western Australian Museum Boola Bardip, lived around the same time as the individual recently exposed in the Brazilian rains, which has yet to be identified.
scientist are still debating evidence from theearliest - known dinosaur . The oldest undisputed dinosaur fossil are around 231 million years old and include clappers from a few dissimilar groups , including Herrerasauridae . However , there are also elderly fossils from a disputed dinosaur calledNyasasaurus , which live on around 240 million years ago .
The skeletal system of the freshly discovered dinosaur is almost altogether preserved , accord toAgência Brasil , a public newsworthiness agency in Brazil . If the specimen is indeed a 233 - million - class - old Herrerasaurid , then it will facilitate researchers decode the base of the dinosaur family tree .
" It ’s among the oldest in the world " and will likely recreate a role in " facilitate us realize the origin of the dinosaurs,“Rodrigo Temp Müller , a paleontologist at the Federal University of Santa Maria in Brazil who go the excavation , told Agência Brasil .
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The fossil will help scientist better empathize the first wafture of predatory dinosaurs to occupy the top of the food chain , Müller said . The soul would have been around 8.2 feet ( 2.5 meter ) long , but its mintage may have develop even larger .
" It ’s a carnivorous , bipedal fauna , so it walk on its hind legs and belike had its helping hand liberal to address fair game , " Müller suppose . " We ca n’t say it had make its maximum sizing . Although he was 2.5 m farsighted , some individuals in this radical could attain five or six meters [ 16.5 to 19.5 feet ] . "
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Müller and his workfellow reveal the fossils after rains sped up natural corrosion in the state of Rio Grande do Sul . This region experienced a record amount of rain earlier this year , which created torrent that killed at least 182 people , The Associated Press reported .
The site where Müller and his fellow worker work is part of theQuarta Colônia Geoparkand is know for dinosaur fogey . The rains think of the researchers are now cannonball along to recover exposed fossils before they are lose or destroyed , Agência Brasil report .
" If there ’s a mass of rain , low materials are sometimes lost before we can get to them , so now we are hurry to rescue all the stuff that have been expose , " Müller order .
