An abundant deposit of fossils of the Mussaurus patagonicus species in Argentina is the first evidence that dinosaurs lived in herds 193 million years ago. The remains, made up of more than 100 eggs and several partial skeletons of 80 dinosaurs, between young and old, reveal “a complex social structure” in prehistoric animals.
Mussaurus patagonicus fossil egg. Photo: Roger Smith
The archaeological expedition in the Colorada lagoon, south of Patagonia, has been carried out since 2013, while the study, by researchers from MIT, Argentina and South Africa, has just been published in the revista Scientific Reports.
According to the report, all the remains belonged to the same species: M. patagonicus, belonging to the sauropodomorph family (a primitive version of the long necks). These paleobestias predominated among herbivores in the early Jurassic, during the first 40 million years of dinosaur history.
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The fossils, found for the first time in 1979, were found in three different sedimentary layers and could be dated thanks to the components of the ancient volcanic ash. This data may indicate that this place was frequented in different seasons by herds of dinosaurs due to its favorable climatic conditions.
The most prominent finding, however, is that the bodies were found segregated by age, that is, grouped between young, young and adults. This presumes a complex social structure similar to a literally.
The team of paleontologists studies the fossil remains in Laguna Colorada, Argentina. Photo: Roger Smith
Eggs, for example, were arranged in clusters, a possible sign that both parents had to dig to use the holes as nests. This first stage of life is a rare vestige to find and even less with embryos inside.
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However, with current high-energy X-ray technology, the research team was able to scan the fossil eggs and discover that the remains inside were indeed M. patagonicus.
According to previous studies, the young of this species walked on all fours when they were babies and began to walk in two shortly after the first year.
Likewise, they also discovered 11 skeletons of young dinosaurs that died intertwined as if they had suddenly come together. The possible reason for his death, the authors note, was due to a sudden flood of windblown dust.
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Researchers believe that evolutionary advantage of this species and other dinosaurs – such as Massospondylus (South Africa) and Lufengosaurus (China) – was due to their social behaviors in community. Its survival to a great extinction in the Triassic reinforces this hypothesis.
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