A Jurassic skull more than 200 million years old has been found in China, and the revelation promises to change what we know about dinosaurs.
An extremely well-preserved dinosaur skull fossil has been discovered in China. The new species, named Long tailed wangi, was found in the Lufeng Formation in Yunnan Province, a region famous for its Jurassic fossils. Lower.
Dating back more than 200 million years, this dinosaur is an ancient relative of the giant sauropods. At up to 10 meters long, the Long tailed wangi was an imposing herbivore, who lived in a time of intense transformation in the animal world.
The species belongs to the sauropodomorph group, which includes big names such as Brontosaurus, e Diplodocus. However, the Long tailed wangi It is not considered a complete sauropod. It is a key piece in understanding how the first herbivorous dinosaurs evolved to become the giants we know today.
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Rare and intriguing preservation
The discovery is based on a partial skeleton, consisting of a skull and nine neck vertebrae. The exceptional preservation of such bones is rare, especially for sauropodomorphs, whose skulls are usually fragile and difficult to find intact.
The sediment of the Lufeng Formation, formed by ancient lakes and rivers, appears to have protected the fossil from erosion. Over time, minerals infiltrated the bones, replacing the organic material and aiding in the fossilization process.
According to paleontologists, the skull has unique features, such as a distinct cranial structure and robust cervical vertebrae. This sets it apart from other dinosaurs found in the same geological formation.
Herbivore and possible biped
During the Early Jurassic, non-sauropod dinosaurs such as Long tailed wangi dominated as large herbivores. They fed on plants such as ferns, cycads and conifers, which were abundant at the time.
Although the fossil found does not include the legs or the complete body, the researchers suggest that it could have been bipedal or even capable of walking on both two and four legs. This is based on studies of other closely related sauropodomorphs, such as the Yunnanosaurus.
Discovery Importance
This new species is probably the largest non-sauropod sauropodomorph yet identified from the Lufeng Formation. Its discovery contributes to the understanding of the diversity and evolution of early dinosaurs.
China, one of the countries richest in dinosaur fossils, continues to reveal secrets from the past. With each new discovery, scientists expand their knowledge about the creatures that dominated the planet millions of years before humanity emerged.