Scientists Unearth One of World’s Oldest Dinosaurs

Argentinian researchers have discovered fossilized remains of one of the oldest dinosaur species ever found, Huayracursor Jaguensis, in the Andes Mountains.

The team, led by CONICET, uncovered an almost complete skeleton at 3,000 meters above sea level in Argentina’s northwest.

The fossils include part of the skull, a full vertebral column, and nearly intact forelimbs and hindlimbs.

The discovery, published in Nature, provides critical insights into early dinosaur evolution.

Estimated to have lived between 230 and 225 million years ago, Huayracursor Jaguensis existed at the end of the Triassic period, alongside early dinosaurs and the ancestors of mammals.

Scientists say the find could help illuminate the transition of reptiles into more advanced forms during this pivotal evolutionary era.