Scientists have for the first time confirmed the discovery of a rare species of animal that ruled the world way before dinosaurs roamed the planet.
Aetosaurs, a heavily armoured cousin of modern crocodiles, were found in different shapes and sizes before they went extinct 200 million years ago. A new study focussed on the aetosaur’s suit of armour, which has most of its major parts intact, has revealed new details about this ancient creature
“We have elements from the back of the neck and shoulder region all the way to the tip of the tail. Usually, you find very limited material,” William Reyes, a doctoral student at the UT Jackson School of Geosciences, said in a statement.
The team of researchers used this rare suit to identify the specimen as a new aetosaur species — which they named Garzapelta muelleri. While the name “Garza” recognizes Garza County in northwest Texas, where the aetosaur was found, “Pelta” is Latin for shield.
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