A strange discovery.
The National Museum of Rio de Janeiro has announced the discovery of a new species of "very rare" dinosaur, a "toothless" theropod that lived in southern Brazil 70 to 80 million years ago.
Named “Berthasaura leopoldinae” in homage to Bertha Luz, Brazilian scientist and researcher at the National Museum and to Empress Maria Leopoldina, wife of Emperor Pedro I of Brazil and patron of natural science studies, this small dinosaur of around 1 meter long and 80 centimeters high had "had a beak, and no tooth, unlike all other species discovered in Brazil so far," said the National Museum.
In fact, theropods are bipedal dinosaurs, generally carnivorous or omnivorous and therefore provided with teeth.
Discovery of a new species of toothless dinosaur in Brazil!
Berthasaura leopoldinae was a small noasaurid that lived in the Cretaceous (Aptian / Albian ~ 120 million years ago).
The fossil is really beautiful!
https://t.co/oLAFCGQC2D pic.twitter.com/uQNni4iHn6
- Vincent Reneleau (@VincentReneleau) November 18, 2021
The animal was identified from a set of fossils found during excavations in the state of Parana, between 2011 and 2014. But the study, carried out jointly with the Paleontological Center of Contestado, in the state of Santa Catarina (south), has just been published in the scientific journal Nature.
"A real surprise"
Paleontologist Alexander Kellner, director of the National Museum, pointed out that the fossils were particularly well preserved.
"We have skull, jaw, spine, pelvic and pectoral girdles, and fore and hind limbs remains, which makes 'Bertha' one of the most complete Cretaceous dinosaurs ever discovered in Canada. Brazil, ”he explained.
For scientists, this absence of teeth raises questions.
“The fact that this species does not have a tooth is a real surprise that raises many questions about its diet,” he explained.
“Maybe he ate differently from other theropod dinosaurs, but just because he doesn't have a tooth doesn't mean he can't eat meat,” he added.
Pesquisadores do Museu Nacional e da Universidade do Contestado, em Santa Catarina, apresentaram uma species of dinosauro that viveu no Brasil, e que já ganhou até um nome: Berthasaura leopoldinae.
O fóssil faith encontrado na região oeste do Paraná: https://t.co/n3o1KzkfbP #JN pic.twitter.com/GLalfFbXVs
- Jornal Nacional (@jornalnacional) November 19, 2021
