A new species of reptile that lived 237 million years ago, discovered in southern Brazilcould provide new clues about the origin of the dinosaursas stated this Monday by the paleontologists responsible for the discovery.
The fossil, of the species Gondwanax paraisensiswas discovered in a rock in Paraíso do Sul, in the state of Rio Grande do Sul (south), and donated to the Paleontological Research Support Center in January 2024, according to the Federal University of Santa María in a statement.
It is one of the oldest skeletons of this lineage and, based on the reconstruction of the species, it is estimated that the reptile would have reached around one meter in length.
As no teeth or cranial elements were recovered, it was not possible to specify its eating habits, although it can be inferred that it was herbivorous or omnivorous like most animals related to it.
Some researchers believe that these animals, recently discovered and classified within the group of silesaurids, may have been very close precursors of dinosaurs, while others suggest that, rather than precursors, they were true dinosaurs.