A new study suggests that the earliest dinosaurs may have emerged in the hot, dry lowlands of ancient Gondwana, encompassing regions like the Amazon rainforest, Congo basin, and the Sahara Desert, rather than temperate regions previously believed.
For decades, the question of where dinosaurs came from has fascinated scientists and the public alike. Fossils unearthed in Argentina, Brazil, and Zimbabwe have helped us paint a picture of the early days of their ancient world. However, a new study now suggests we might be searching in the wrong places for their earliest ancestors.
According to the paper published in Current Biology, the first dinosaurs may have emerged in the hot, dry lowlands of ancient Gondwana—areas that today include the Amazon rainforest, Congo basin, and the Sahara Desert, instead of temperate regions like previously believed. The oldest known dinosaur fossils date back 230 million years. However, these fossils already show evolutionary differences, suggesting dinosaurs were around for millions of years before their remains appeared in Argentina and Zimbabwe. This means dinosaurs may have come from somewhere else and then traveled to those regions. Unfortunately, evidence of this earlier phase has yet to be uncovered, leaving a significant gap in the fossil record. To try to combat this, researchers have used advanced modeling techniques to reconstruct ancient geography and evolutionary timelines. Their analysis treated regions like the Amazon and central Africa as 'missing data' rather than assuming dinosaurs were absent. These new findings indicate that the earliest dinosaurs likely came from western low-latitude Gondwana, a scorching environment resembling modern deserts and savannas. It would make sense, as the first dinosaurs were a far cry from massive giants like T. rex or Diplodocus. These early creatures were small—about the size of a chicken or medium dog—walking on two legs as agile hunters or scavengers. They thrived in challenging climates alongside other reptiles. They continued like this for millions of years, with dinosaurs just one group among many, often overshadowed by other reptilian species. But that changed around 20 million years ago when volcanic eruptions triggered the end-Triassic mass extinction. With many competitors wiped out, dinosaurs rapidly diversified, becoming the dominant land animals for the next 135 million years. The dense forests of the Amazon and the sands of the Sahara remain largely unexplored for fossils. Future expeditions may uncover the missing evidence that helps us finally understand where dinosaurs came from. As scientists continue to piece together their evolutionary story, we edge closer to unlocking the secrets of their ancient origins and perhaps even secrets about our own
DINOSAURS EVOLUTION FOSSILS GONDWANA AMAZ0N ANCIENT HISTORY
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