Long Necked Dinosaur Found In Argentina
Long Necked Dinosaur Found In Argentina: Possible Indications Of Life Beyond Global Cooling
The dinosaur Leinkupal laticauda found in Argentina is related to the Apatosauras and Diplodocus dinosaurs, according to researchers. Diplodocids are known for their large bodies and long necks as well as massive tails. This is a group of sauropod dinosaurs that is the first record of this species from South America. It is also the youngest record of Diplodocidae across the globe.
The study was conducted by Pablo Gallina and colleagues from the Universidad Maimonides and the Museo E Bachmann in Argentina. This new diplodocid sauropod was formed from the early Cretaceous period in Patagonia located in Argentina, South America. This is the first diplodocid sauropod discovered in South America and it is unique.
Scientists conducting the research found difference between this species and other diplodocid species from North America and Africa. They specifically found that the other species differed from this one in the manner in which the tail connects to the body in the vertebrae.
These differences led to a new name being coined for this species specifically Leinkupal laticauda. As Leinkupal laticauda lived much later than North American or African relations, its existence indicates the supposed extinction of the Diplodocidae that occurred during the beginning of the Cretaceous period was not a global phenomenon.
The researchers have suggested that this species survived at least during the early phases of the Cretaceous stage. The fossilized remains of the dinosaur are considered to be the world's largest living creature discovered in Argentina, according to palaentologists. The gigantic bones of this massive dinosaur has been discovered by a local farm worker in the desert in Patagonia. This is the southern Argentine region where important discoveries relating to dinosaurs have always been fairly common.
This is thought to be the new species of titanosaur which is a big sized herbivore of the long necked sauropod group living in Late Cretaceous period. The bones of the dinosaurs have been retrived from around 7 individuals and they are said by researchers to be in top condition. The size of its bones are so huge that it surpasses any previously known giant animals. The length of the dinosaur from the head to the tip of the tail was around 40 metres. This dinosaur is 20 metres high which is roughly equivalent to a 7 storey building. This dinonsaur is being compared to another one from the same region known as Argetinosauras. It was originally estimated at 100 tonnes but its weight was revised to 70 at a later point in time. No complete skeleton of the animal has been found however and its overall size and shape is conjectural.
While some researchers are indicating that this is one of the heaviest dinosaurs on earth, other experts are opining that it is a lightweight. It is heartening to know that all life was not wiped out as far as dinosaurs are concerned, when it comes to global cooling. But if estimates of scientists regarding the melting glaciers in West Antarctic are taken into account, humans on earth between 200 and 1000 years from now may not be so fortunate. What is ironic is that global fossil fuel energy use is what has prompted global warming and the possible threat of rise in sea levels. The future remains nebulous and computer simulations or sticking to the basic data may not be the best recipe when it comes to survival. Conservation of resources and use of renewable energy can be the only viable solutions.
