Shhh…It’s the news!

Shhh…It’s the news!

Good news everyone, new dinosaur fossils have been found: Turiasaurus Riodevensis!

Paleontologists have uncovered the remains of what appears to be the largest terrestrial animal ever uncovered in Europe. Last week in Spain, the fossils of a 40 to 48 ton giant were discovered. The dinosaur’s humorous(the long bone in the forelimb from the shoulder to the elbow) is as long as an entire adult human. The actual size of the dinosaur has yet to be determined, but researchers conclude that it had an extremely long neck and tail, a huge and sturdy body and stout limbs. The discoverers believe that the animal was an early sauropod(a plant-eating dinosaur) and somewhat similar to the Brachiosaurus and the Diplodocus. I had a puffy paint Diplodocus sweatshirt growing up so this news is especially great for me.

Published in the current issue of the journal Science, Rafael Royo-Torres and colleagues at the Teruel-Dinópolis Museum of Paleontology, in Teruel, Spain, said the animal differed enough from all others to be classified as “a member of a hitherto unrecognized” branch of primitive sauropods. So as exciting as all of this is, especially after the gifts that we’ve all been given being just days after Christmas, it has been proven that the rates of dinosaur discoveries are increasing. “In an analysis by Dr. Dodson and Steve C. Wang, an average of one significant discovery was made each year until 1970. From 1970 to 1990, the rate increased to six a year. Since then, dinosaurs have been poppong up on an average of 15 a year.” So sit tight everyone, and give it up for Turiasaurus Riodevensis. Hopefully researchers find out all the cool info soon like size and color, and of course I will pass on the good news. Until next time- hope everyone has a good New Year.