The fossil remains of 167-million-years-old long-necked, plant-eating dicraeosaurid dinosaur have been discovered in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan.
Key points
- Scientists from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee and the Geological Survey of India (GSI) managed to unearth the prehistoric findings.
- The scientists have named the dinosaur fossil ‘Tharosaurus indicus’, referring to the Thar desert and the country of origin where the remains were found. Scientists are of the view that the fossils belong to a new species of dinosaurs, unknown to man.
- The fossils were collected from the Jaisalmer region in 2018 and a group of six researchers from the two institutes, spent almost five years studying them.
- Researchers said since the fossils were found in rocks dated to be around 167 million years old, it makes Indian sauropod not only the oldest known dicraeosaurid but also globally the oldest diplodocoid (broader group which includes dicraeosaurids and other closely related sauropods).
- Previously, dicraeosaurid dinosaurs fossils have been discovered in North and South America, Africa and China but never in India.
