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Where did dinosaurs come from? New study answers this question

Published 24/01/2025 às 23:42
dinosaurs
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Scientists have conducted a new study that sheds light on the origins of dinosaurs and how they came to dominate the planet. Find out more!

The origin of dinosaurs is one of the most fascinating topics in paleontology. For decades, it was believed that these animals originated in regions such as Argentina and Zimbabwe, where the oldest known fossils were found.

However, a new study published in the journal Current Biology suggests that the earliest ancestors of dinosaurs may have emerged in the humid equatorial regions of ancient Earth—areas that today correspond to Amazon rainforest, the Congo basin and the Sahara desert.

The gap in the fossil record

The oldest dinosaur fossils date back approximately 230 million years and were found in South America and Africa.

However, the differences between these fossils suggest that dinosaurs had already been evolving for millions of years before these discoveries. This indicates an even more remote origin, for which direct fossil evidence remains unknown.

To address this question, researchers used advanced modeling techniques to analyze data from fossils, evolutionary trees, and ancient geography.

The research suggests that the absence of fossils in these regions does not mean that dinosaurs did not exist there, but rather that the data is still insufficient.

"Dinosaurs are widely studied, but we still don't know exactly where they came from.“, said Joel Heath, lead author of the study and a researcher at University College London.

The world of the first dinosaurs

According to the study, the first dinosaurs likely emerged in low latitudes in the Gondwana region, a supercontinent that encompassed lands that today comprise South America, Africa, India, Antarctica and Australia. At the time, these regions were hot and dry, similar to modern savannas and deserts.

Despite the lack of fossils in these regions, accessibility problems and lack of investment in research are believed to be the main obstacles to new discoveries.

The first dinosaurs were small, about the size of a chicken or a medium-sized dog, walked on two legs and were possibly omnivores. Their agility and adaptation to harsh environments may have been essential for their survival.

The Rise of the Dinosaurs

For millions of years, dinosaurs coexisted with other dominant reptiles, such as Pseudosuchia, distant relatives of crocodiles that reached up to 10 meters in length.

The scenario changed dramatically around 201 million years ago, with a mass extinction caused by volcanic eruptions that made room for the expansion of dinosaurs.

This event led dinosaurs to diversify and occupy a wide variety of ecological niches, becoming the dominant group on Earth for the next 135 million years.

Missing link in evolution

One of the main contributions of the study is the evolutionary relationship between the first dinosaurs and their ancestors.

The researchers suggest that Silesauridae, previously thought to be just distant cousins ​​of dinosaurs, may be the true ancestors of ornithischians — a group that includes stegosaurs and Triceratops.

This hypothesis helps fill a gap in our understanding of dinosaur evolution and provides a new perspective on how these animals diversified.

Dinosaurs' climate adaptation

Another important point raised by the study is the ability of dinosaurs to adapt to different climates.

Sauropods, known for their enormous size, preferred warm environments, while theropods and ornithischians developed adaptations to survive in colder climates, even inhabiting polar regions during the Jurassic period.

"Our results suggest that early dinosaurs may have been well adapted to hot, arid environments“, said Professor Philip Mannion, co-author of the study.

The full study was published in the journal Current Biology.

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Fabio Lucas Carvalho

Journalist specializing in a wide range of topics, such as cars, technology, politics, shipbuilding, geopolitics, renewable energy and economics. I have been working since 2015 with prominent publications in major news portals. My degree in Information Technology Management from Faculdade de Petrolina (Facape) adds a unique technical perspective to my analyses and reports. With over 10 thousand articles published in renowned media outlets, I always seek to bring detailed information and relevant insights to the reader. For story suggestions or any questions, please contact me by email at flclucas@hotmail.com.

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