the remains of an ancestor of dinosaurs found in Brazil – BBC Russian

Image copyright Voltair Neto

Image caption Reptile Teyujagua paradoxa like a small crocodile and lived in freshwater ponds, hunting fish.

In Brazil, recently discovered fossils of reptiles inhabiting 250 million years ago, when there were dinosaurs.

In that time the world was reborn after a huge catastrophe that caused the mass extinction of species.

the reptile, dubbed teyuguany, a close relative of the group, which later evolved into the dinosaurs, crocodiles and birds.

this finding, as stated by paleontology, fills a gap in the evolutionary tree of reptiles.

Dr Richard Butler of the University of Birmingham, said that this animal is a new species unknown until now.

“It’s very close precursor of a very important group of reptiles called arhozauroobraznyh – said the scientist -. We understand better now how to develop this group”

<. span class="image-and-copyright-container"> Image copyright Scientific Reports

Image caption reptile skull remarkably well preserved

Reptile Teyujagua paradoxa like a small crocodile and lived in freshwater ponds, hunting for fish.

This animal lived about 252 million years ago, right after mass extinction of species on Earth, which is now believed by paleontologists to have been caused by a series of powerful volcanic eruptions.

Then the face of the earth disappeared and 90% of all living beings, thus contributing to the rapid flowering of other species occupied the vacant niche.

Reptiles, as well as their close relatives archosauromorpha dinosaurs became the dominant form of life on land and in the end turned into a dinosaur.

Dr Philip Pinheiro from the University of Rio Grande do Sul was a member a group of Brazilian paleontologists who discovered the well-preserved fossils of reptiles near the town of San Francisco de Assis in the south of the country.

“As soon as we saw for the first time this magnificent skull, partly hidden rock, we realized that we stumbled upon it -That incredible, “- says the scientist

.” By examining the remains in the laboratory and slowly removing the fat, we do not cease to be amazed. This pet has features never previously observed, which indicates that it is a unique place on the evolutionary tree of vertebrates development “, – he said

Reptile teyuguana very different from other resources in the same period

<.. p> its anatomical features put it between more primitive reptiles and arhozauropodobnymi that gave rise to in the future all the dinosaurs and pterosaurs, birds and crocodiles.