SRINAGAR: A new dinosaur species has been identified in Brazil based on footprints found in the city of Araraquara, BBC reported.
In the 1980s, Italian priest and palaeontologist Giuseppe Leonardi discovered a series of dinosaur footprints, later referred to as “trackways,” in Brazil’s Botucatu Formation. These fossilized imprints, showcasing long, slender toes and a wide stride, hinted at the existence of an unknown dinosaur species.
Leonardi, driven by curiosity and a passion for palaeontology, carefully collected and documented these trackways, eventually donating them to Brazil’s Museum of Earth Sciences in 1984.
After years of examination and comparison with existing dinosaur track records, a groundbreaking study in 2023 led by Leonardi officially named the new species Farlowichnus rapidus, denoting “Fast Farlow’s track.” The research revealed that Farlowichnus rapidus was a small, agile carnivore that inhabited the arid landscapes of early Cretaceous Brazil around 125 million years ago.
The newly identified species, resembling a modern-day seriema bird in size (about 60-90 cm or 2-3 feet tall), emphasizes the significance of preserving and studying fossil trackways. Farlowichnus rapidus provides valuable insights into the diversity and behaviour of ancient dinosaurs, showcasing their adaptations and resilience in Earth’s prehistoric past.
The discovery, detailed in the scientific journal Cretaceous Research, highlights the importance of fossil trackways. The geological service noted in a statement that the large distance between the footprints indicates a very fast reptile that traversed ancient dunes during the early Cretaceous period, spanning from 100 to 145 million years ago.
MCTer palaeontologist Rafael Costa emphasized that these footprints are distinct from all other known dinosaur footprints, underlining the uniqueness of Farlowichnus rapidus in the world of palaeontology.
