Researchers presented this Thursday (18) the description of a new species of dinosaur, called Berthasaura leopoldinae. Small, with approximately 1 meter in length, it lived in the Cretaceous period, where the municipality of Cruzeiro do Oeste is located, in northwestern Paraná.
The article by researchers at the National Museum of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), the Alberto Luiz Coimbra Institute for Graduate Studies and Research in Engineering at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (Coppe/UFRJ) and the Paleontological Center of the University of Contestado – Celempao (Mafra, SC) was published today (18) in the rNature scientific journal.
the skeleton of Berthasaura leopoldinae was found in excavations conducted by a team of paleontologists from the Paleontological Center of the Universidade do Contestado and the Museu Nacional, in a rural roadblock in Cruzeiro do Oeste.
“Over the last decade, dozens of fossils have been collected in this region, which has led to the description of new species, particularly pterosaurs. This new discovery of a dinosaur, the second in the region, shows the importance of that fossiliferous site we call the Cemetery of pterosaurs”, said the geologist from Celempao, Luiz Weinschütz, who coordinated the excavations.
“The fossil materials are very well preserved and, therefore, they have provided a lot of important information about this ecosystem, which represents an oasis in the middle of a Cretaceous desert”, said researcher Everton Wilner, also from Celempao. The age of the deposits is still uncertain, being between 70 and 80 million years old.
toothless dinosaur
Most dinosaurs found in Brazil can be divided into two large groups: the sauropods and theropods. Berthasaura is a theropod belonging to abelisaurids, important components of the southern hemisphere fauna in the Cretaceous period, said the director of the National Museum, Alexander Kellner, who participated in some excavations in Cruzeiro do Oeste and is one of the authors of the article.
“We have remains of the skull and jaw, spine, pectoral and pelvic girdles and fore and hind limbs, which makes Bertha one of the most complete dinos ever found in the Brazilian Cretaceous period”. But, according to Kellner, what makes this dinosaur genuinely rare is the fact that it is a toothless theropod, the first found in the country.
To be sure of this condition, a study was carried out at the Laboratory of Nuclear Instrumentation at Coppe/UFRJ, using computerized microtomography. “Applying techniques that are common in other areas of fossil research, such as tomography, is something that has fascinated us a lot,” said Professor Ricardo Tadeu Lopes, who coordinates the laboratory.
According to Geovane Alves Souza, PhD student of the Postgraduate Program in Zoology at the Museu Nacional/UFRJ, who developed the research as part of his doctoral thesis, “in addition to Berthasaura not having teeth, the species also did not show any signs the existence of tooth-bearing cavities (alveoli) in the mandible and maxilla and the microtomography of the mandible confirmed that it was not just a preservation artifact, but a feature of this new dinosaur.”
The researcher added that marks and furrows were identified, suggesting the presence of a horny beak (of keratin), similar to what occurs in birds today. “It’s difficult to confirm whether Berthasaura could have used its beak to tear off chunks of meat, as hawks and vultures do today, or whether the beak would have been used to cut plant material. Living in a restricted area like the desert, this dinosaur was supposed to feed on what was available, having probably developed an omnivorous diet.”
triple tribute
The dinosaur’s name is a “triple” tribute, as highlighted by researcher Marina Bento Soares: “Bertha refers to professor/researcher Bertha Maria Júlia Lutz (1894 – 1976), a biologist at the Museu Nacional/UFRJ and one of the main leaders in the struggle for the political rights of Brazilian women.”
The researcher also explained that the specific epithet leopoldinae honors both the Brazilian empress Maria Leopoldina (1797 – 1826), who was a great enthusiast of the natural sciences and one of the main responsible for independence in Brazil, as well as the Samba school Imperatriz Leopoldinense, which honored the National Museum as the theme of its parade at Marquês de Sapucaí in 2018.
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