MADISON, Wis. — A newly discovered dinosaur unearthed by UW-Madison paleontologists is reshaping our understanding of prehistoric reptiles.
The fossils suggest the species lived in the northern hemisphere millions of years earlier than previously thought, according to a study published in the Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society by UW-Madison scientists and their research partners on Jan. 8, 2025.
The discovery was made during a dig in Wyoming in 2013, where the team found bones dating back about 230 million years.
High-precision dating confirms this makes the species the oldest dinosaur yet discovered in North America, according to the study.
The fossils include:
- Ahvaytum bahndooiveche, the oldest known dinosaur from the northern hemisphere.
- A silesaurid, a close relative of early dinosaurs.
Watch: UW-Madison scientists announce discovery of a new Dinosaur
According to the study, these findings fill a critical gap in the record of early dinosaur evolution and distribution.
The dinosaur, roughly the size of a chicken but with a long tail, is estimated to have been about three feet long.
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