A team of Argentine paleontologists has uncovered one of the oldest known dinosaurs, a nearly complete skeleton of a long-necked herbivore that roamed Earth 230 million years ago in what is now La Rioja province.

The new species, Huayracursor jaguensis, lived during the Late Triassic period, a critical era for the evolution of early dinosaurs and mammalian ancestors. The fossil was discovered in the remote Quebrada de Santo Domingo, over 3,000 meters above sea level, in a previously unexplored geological basin, offering scientists a rare glimpse into Earth’s rapidly expanding biodiversity.

“It’s been 50 years since new fossil sites of this age have been found anywhere in the world. They are very few,” said Julia Desojo, president of the Argentine paleontological association.

The research team, comprising experts from CONICET, the Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales, CRILAR, and several national universities, recovered a remarkably well-preserved skeleton. The fossil includes parts of the skull, a complete vertebral column, and both forelimbs and hindlimbs. Its anatomical features — notably an elongated neck nearly two meters long, indicate an early development of traits that would later define the sauropodomorph lineage, some of the largest land animals in history.

“It’s the first and oldest dinosauromorph ever characterized,” Desojo explained. “It’s the first record of its kind, so old, so ancient, with a neck that reaches nearly two meters.”

This discovery not only sheds light on the early evolution of dinosaurs but also highlights the scientific importance of Argentina in global paleontology, adding a key piece to the puzzle of prehistoric life.

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