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Scientists in Brazil are racing against time to collect fossils uncovered by recent heavy floods before they are destroyed.
in May, Record floods Soil has been swept up in parts of southern Brazil, revealing the remains of at least 35 ancient creatures. Among them is a 233-million-year-old dinosaur skeleton, which may be the skeleton of another dinosaur. Oldest ever It was discovered that it belongs to the two-legged predator. Gnathovorax cabrerae.
But the excitement of such discoveries has been tempered by the urgent need to recover the fossils before they are lost. Fossils can decompose in water, which is plentiful in southern Brazil. Four of the 29 sites with fossils are still underwater, while others have been damaged by summer rains. nature Reports.
It’s the smallest bones that are of greatest concern, because they’re more likely to disintegrate in water or be washed away by rain. Whether they belong to creatures large or small, such bones are a vital record of prehistoric life. For example, ear bones, which are just a fraction of an inch in size, reveal a lot about the intelligence of ancient creatures.
Talk to nature“If paleontologists are not present to collect material when it begins to emerge, we risk losing some of it forever,” said Leonardo Kerber of the Federal University of Santa Maria.
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