Recently, A 186-million-year-old dinosaur fossil was discovered. Paleontologists uncovered the ancient dinosaur in Morrocco, and after examining it, realized that the discovery could shed light on a chapter of dinosaur evolution shrouded in mystery. The fossil is of a cerapodan ornithischian dinosaur and is officially recognized as the oldest of its kind ever to be found. It pushed back the timeline of cerapodans by millions of years.
Its Discovery
The El Mers III Formation in Morocco’s Middle Atlas Mountains has long been a site known for its fossils, primarily heralding from the Middle Jurassic period. The fossil of the cerapodan found was a femur, which solidifies the sight by offering rich evidence of biodiversity in Morroco millions of years ago.
Carbon Dating
Researchers often use carbon dating to accurately figure out the age of ancient animals. Over time, carbon-14 decays in an organism (in this case the femur). Scientists look at the levels of carbon-14 compared to carbon-12. This way, they can tell how old the femure was, which was dated to 168 million years ago, two million years older than the oldest cerapodan fossil recorded.
Previous Record Holder
The previous record holder for the oldest cerapodan was also a femur that was uncovered by scientists in the UK. Both fossils are close in age, but the one found in Morrocco beats out the previous record holder. The accurate dating of fossils is important, and fossils where older dating methods were used should be reinvestigated.
Its Significance
The Middle Jurassic period was a crucial time for dinosaurs, where their species saw an explosion of diversification. Despite the alleged biodiversity, fossil evidence is hard to come by. This femur found is the first skeletal evidence of cerapodans in the Middle Jurassic.
A Gap In The Fossil Record
The discovery of the femur is a significant find because it fills a gap in the fossil record and dissolves previous speculation. This new revelation suggests that with more research, new understandings of the early evolution of cerapodans and their role in their environment could be uncovered.
Cerapodan
Ceradopan were part of the ornithischian group, which they shared with other iconic dinosaurs like Triceratops and Iguanodon. They were bipedal herbivores that were relatively small compared to other dinosaurs. A groove found in the femur is a unique Cerapodan trait and proves its identity.
Evolutionary Implications
The study of the femur in Morrocco tells scientists that cerapodans had already become their own and distinct group by the Middle Jurassic, pushing back evolutionary theories. Cerapodans may have been more commons and diverse during the Middle Jurassic than many theories proposed before the discovery and research of the femur.
The Middle Jurassic
The Middle Jurassic was a period of time on Earth between 174 to 163 million years ago. It was an important period in history due to the diversification of the dinosaur species. Many new groups emerged during this time, but fossils from this period are coveted as they are usually rare finds.
An Important Find
The research on the femur was led by Dr. Susannah Maidment of the Natural History Museum in London. Their findings were published in the Royal Society Open Science and highlight just how important it is to find the femur in order to better understand dinosaur evolution in the Middle Jurassic.
The Future
As scientists study the femur found at the site, they hope to get a rare view into what the Middle Jurassic could have been like. Paleontologists also hope that future excavations at the site in Morrocco could provide more crucial fossils, which could help piece together dinosaur evolution in Jurassic Habitats.
Explore more of our trending stories and hit Follow to keep them coming to your feed!
Don’t miss out on more stories like this! Hit the Follow button at the top of this article to stay updated with the latest news. Share your thoughts in the comments—we’d love to hear from you!
