- Title: SOUTH AFRICA: New dinosaur species discovered in South Africa
- Date: 13th November 2009
- Summary: JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA (NOVEMBER 11, 2009) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF ORIGINS CENTRE IN JOHANNESBURG WIDE OF EXHIBITION ROOM AUDIENCE SEATED AND LISTENING (SOUNDBITE) (English) PALAEONTOLOGIST ADAM YEATS, SAYING: "We measured them, ran them through a shape analyses, I did a revolutionary analysis, called a claudistic analysis, and eventually we came up with the decision that this is definitely without the shadow of a doubt, was a brand- new type of dinosaur one that no one had ever seen before and one that has a very significant position in the family tree of dinosaurs." PROJECTOR DISPLAY OF DINOSAUR IMAGE VARIOUS OF DINOSAUR FOSSILS ON DISPLAY (SOUNDBITE) (English) PALAEONTOLOGIST ADAM YEATS, SAYING: "This new dinosaur is helping us complete and revise our picture of how the truly giant dinosaurs first got going." MORE OF DINOSAUR FOSSILS ON DISPLAY (SOUNDBITE) (English) PALAEONTOLOGIST, ADAM YEATS, SAYING: "This is not the first really important dinosaur from this prosauropodsal transition that we found in South Africa, there very earliest true sauropod, a true quadruped, is also found in South Africa in rocks that are slightly older that our dikes, that is an animal called Antetonitrus, that was actually announced in 2003 when I first arrived here in South Africa. And so Antetonitrus together with this new Aardonyx leads me to say we have here in South Africa the Cradle of Sauropod-kind." MORE OF FOSSILS ON DISPLAY PHOTOGRAPHER TAKING PICTURES OF THE FOSSIL DISPLAY
- Embargoed: 28th November 2009 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: South Africa
- Country: South Africa
- Topics: Environment / Natural World,Light / Amusing / Unusual / Quirky
- Reuters ID: LVA9X0HJ1BJJ7ANVVA6QM2QT41IQ
- Story Text: Scientist in South Africa have discovered a new dinosaur species known as Aardonyx or "Earth Claw".
The discovery of a new dinosaur species known as Aardonyx or "Earth Claw" was announced on Wednesday (November 11) by palaeontologist Adam Yeats in Johannesburg, South Africa. This, Yeats said, gives a glimpse into the evolution of the Sauropod species.
"We measured them, ran them through a shape analyses, I did a revolutionary analysis, called a claudistic analysis and eventually we came up with the decision that this is definitely without the shadow of a doubt, was a brand new type of dinosaur one that no one had ever seen before and one that has a very significant position in the family tree of dinosaurs." Yeats said at the announcement of the discovery in Johannesburg.
Aardonyx, according to paleontological findings, lived in the early Jurassic period around 195 million years ago and at seven meters long, her bone structure suggests that she may have been a baby. The newly discovered dinosaur, added Yeats, shares traits of evolutionary precursors to the sauropods which dominated the Jurassic period.
"This new dinosaur is helping us complete and revise our picture of how the truly giant dinosaurs first got going." Yeats said.
Marc Blackbeard, a student of a leading South African University, discovered Aardonyx after he began excavating a site in the country's Northern Free State region some five years ago under Yeats' leadership.
"This is not the first really important dinosaur from this presauropodsal transition that we found in South Africa, there very earliest true sauropod, a true quadruped, is also found in South Africa in rocks that are slightly older that our dikes, that is an animal called Antetonitrus, that was actually announced in 2003 when I first arrived here in South Africa. And so Antetonitrus together with this new Aardonyx leads me to say we have here in South Africa the Cradle of Sauropodkind." Said Yeats.
Aardonyx was carnivorous and because so many fossils have been found dating back to the same time period as her may have been a casualty of a draught that affected the region in which they were found. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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