Savannasaurus: New Dinosaur Discovered in Australia

Advertisement

A new dinosaur called Savannasaurus has been discovered in Australia.

Savannasaurus

The official name of the 95-million-year-old creature is Savannasaurus elliottorum and it reportedly lived in what is now known in outback Australia. The dinosaur is a type of herbivore, meaning it only eat plans and not meat.

The name is unsurprisingly inspired by the savannah landscape it is located in, and is part of a group of dinosaurs known as sauropods. The brontosaurus is another dinosaur in this group, which have long neccks and four thick legs.

The “titanosaurus” creatures reportedly evolved from a type of dinosaur hailing from South America. David Elliott discovered the Savannasaurus after his sheep found the bones in central Queensland.

A total of about 40 fossilised bones were discovered, making the animal one of the most complete sauropod skeletons around. The first bone of the dinosaur was discovered in 2006, which was a small toe bone.

The reason why these animals moved from South America to Australia could be related to a cool climate that struck, followed by a period of global warming in the area that occurred about 105 million years ago.

Such an emigration would be impossible now due to continental drift, but the way the continents were united back then would have made it possible for this movement to exist.

The Savannasaurus was reported in the journal Scientific Reports. It was discovered alongside a similar creature known as the Diamantinasaurus matildae.

More From InvestorPlace


Article printed from InvestorPlace Media, https://investorplace.com/2016/10/savannasaurus-new-dinosaur/.

©2024 InvestorPlace Media, LLC