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Paleontologists have discovered the remains of a dinosaur that lived 110 million years ago in central Argentina. The remains came from three distinct dinosaurs of the group of herbivorous sauropods, the best known of which are the
Diplodocus
and
brontosaurus
. This new species has been named
Lavocatisaurus agrioensis
.
"We found most of the cranial bones: the muzzle, the jaws, a lot of teeth, as well as the bones that define the orbits, for example, which allowed us to create an almost complete reconstruction," said Jose Luis. Carballido, researcher at the Egidio Feruglio Museum and the National Council of Scientific Investigations.
Parts of the neck, tail and back have also been found.
"Not only is the discovery of a new species in an area where fossils are not expected, but the skull is almost complete," said Carballido.
The remains belonged to an adult of about 12 m long and two miners of about six to seven meters.
Paleontologists say that the dinosaurs moved in groups and died together.
"This discovery of an adult and two miners also means the first record of a group move among the rebbachisaurus dinosaurs," said lead author Jose Ignacio Canudo. from the University of Zaragoza.
The area in which the fossils were found is unusual for dinosaurs because it would have been a desert with sporadic lakes at that time.
Biggest creatures
The Sauropods were the greatest creatures ever to have roamed the planet. Supersaurus could reach 33 to 34 meters long and Argentinosaurus could have weighed up to 120 tons.
They were herbivorous quadrupeds with long necks and tails, massive bodies and small heads.
But the discovery at Neuquen, published in the scientific journal
Acta Palaeontologica Polonica
, remains a huge surprise.
"We can imagine that this group of sauropods could have adapted to move in more arid environments, with little vegetation, little moisture and little water, but it's a place where you would not look for fossils, "said Mr Carballido.
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