Dicraeosaurid Dinosaur Fossil : Discovered
Scientists from IIT-Roorkee and Geological Survey of India (GSI) have discovered the oldest fossil remains of dicraeosaurid dinosaur in Jaisalmer.
- Dicraeosaurid dinosaur is a long-necked, plant-eating dinosaur species.
- The remains are 167 million years old and belong to a new species, unknown to scientists thus far.
- It has been named ‘Tharosaurus indicus’, the first name referring to the ‘Thar desert’ where the fossils were found, and the second after its country of origin.
- According to the scientists, fossils of dicraeosaurid dinosaurs have been found previously in North and South Americas, Africa and China, but such fossils were not known from India.
- The rocks in which the fossils were found are dated to be around 167 million years old, which makes this new Indian sauropod not only the oldest known dicraeosaurid but also globally the oldest diplodocoid (broader group which includes dicraeosaurids and other closely related sauropods).
- Theories so far had suggested that the oldest dicraeosaurid was from China (about 166-164 million years old).
