A (very) close relative of crocodiles and crocodiles: reptiles that lived before the discovery of dinosaurs in Brazil | Sciences

A fossil of a reptile that lived before dinosaurs has been found in southern Brazil. The discovery was described in the scientific journal “Scientific Reports” on Thursday (20).

According to Rodrigo Tempm-Muller, a paleontologist at the Federal University of Santa Maria (UFSM) and author of the study: This is a new type from a group that has not yet been reported in Brazilor Gracilissuchidae.

“Until now, the group was only known from three species, two from China and one from Argentina. This animal It was a small predator And found in An area where we had no records of the ancestors of crocodiles and small crocodiles. “This shows that the ecosystems that preceded the origin of dinosaurs were very complex in terms of the lineage that later gave rise to crocodiles and crocodiles,” Mueller said. g1.

Before the appearance of dinosaurs, ecosystems were dominated by ancestors of mammals and reptiles with diverse lineages. You gracilisuquidea It lived between 247 and 237 million years ago, during the Triassic Period. The oldest unambiguous dinosaurs have been excavated in layers about 230 million years old.

The new fossil has been named Parvosuchus orelloi. The first name means “little crocodile”, as the fossil belongs to an animal that may have reached only one meter in length, while “Aureluy” pays tribute to Pedro Lucas Porcella Aurelio, who discovered the fossil material.

Müller states that the fossil was among the donated materials. First, notice the vertebrae in the animal’s spine. A few hours later, parts of the pelvic girdle were revealed. The most exciting moment, he said, was when the animal’s orbital area was revealed.

The paleontologist added: “At that moment it became clear that the skull of that creature was also preserved. In total, the fossil preserved the complete skull, part of the spine, pelvic girdle and hind limbs.”