This Is What a Parrot-Beaked Reptile Looked Like 230 Million Years Ago

Researchers in Brazil have identified a new reptile species that lived around 230 million years ago, during the Triassic period, a time when the earliest dinosaurs were beginning to appear.

The species, named Isodapedon varzealis, was discovered in the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul and described by scientists from the Federal University of Santa Maria.

The fossil, first unearthed in 2020, consists of a skull that took more than six months to prepare due to its fragile structure.

The reptile belonged to a group known as rhynchosaurs, plant-eating animals that were common during the Triassic.

It is estimated to have measured between 1.2 and 1.5 meters in length and had a distinctive pointed, parrot-like beak, likely used to cut vegetation and dig for roots.

Scientists say the discovery adds to the number of known rhynchosaur species in the region and provides further evidence of their diversity during that period.

The findings also show similarities with fossils discovered in Scotland, supporting the idea that continents were once joined as part of the supercontinent Pangaea, allowing animals to move freely across vast land areas.