By: Emila Zhang

In Rio Grande do Sul in southern Brazil, a 233-million-year-old dinosaur fossil was discovered.Mother Nature helped the paleontologists, as heavy rain was active in Rio Grande do Sul before the time the dinosaur was unearthed near a reservoir. The torrential rain washed the dirt off parts of the fossil, relieving some fossilized bones. This dinosaur is thought to be the oldest of all dinosaur fossils found on Earth.

Researchers think the dinosaur is part of an ancient family named Herrerasaurs, one of the earliest dinosaurs. The name means “Herrera’s lizard,”after the rancher who discovered the first specimen.

The Herrerasaurs lived during the Triassic Perido, which occurred 252-201 million years ago and began after the Permian Perido, commonly known as the Great Dying, which occurred 252 million years ago. Dinosaurs roamed a supercontinent named Pangea. The Herrerasuars are part of a series of carnivorous dinosaurs, meaning they only eat meat. Each grew to be 2.5 meters long and had two legs with two short claws.

Dr. Rodrigo Müller from the Federal University of Santa Maria said, “It’s among the oldest in the world,”
Rain is still a problem at the site of the fossils. Sections of the fully preserved bones are damaged by the water. In June, Rio Grande do Sul flooded because of the severe rainfall.

“It’s important to us and other people because of the role it’s likely to play in helping us understand the origin of the dinosaurs,” Müller said.

Hope that this Dinosaur is put in a museum and is protected… from rain.