A newly discovered dinosaur in Wyoming could be the oldest dinosaur found in North America, challenging traditional timelines of dinosaur evolution.
Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have unearthed a new dinosaur species that could rewrite our understanding of when and where dinosaurs first appeared in North America. This small dinosaur, discovered in 2013 in Wyoming 's Popo Agie Formation, is believed to be the oldest dinosaur found on the continent.
Traditionally, scientists have thought that dinosaurs first spread to Laurasia, the northern part of the supercontinent Pangea, millions of years after emerging in Gondwana, the southern portion. However, this newfound species suggests that dinosaurs may have arrived in Laurasia much earlier, potentially even comparable in age to the earliest known Gondwanan dinosaurs. The team, led by paleontologist Dr. Lovelace, analyzed fossils, particularly leg bones, indicating that this dinosaur is likely an early relative of sauropods, the long-necked giants like Apatosaurus and Diplodocus. While this new species was much smaller, standing about one foot tall and three feet long, it provides valuable insight into the early evolution of dinosaurs. The discovery also has cultural significance, as it is the first dinosaur species to be named in the Eastern Shoshone language. Tribal elders and middle school students collaborated to give the dinosaur its name, which translates to 'long ago dinosaur,' honoring the ancestral lands where the fossils were found
Dinosaur Fossil Discovery Evolution Laurasia Gondwana Paleontology Wyoming
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