Dinosaurs Older Than Once Thought
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March 3, 2010 -- Paleontologists have discovered a new dinosaur relative that could completely rewrite the history of these animals, according to a new study which appears in tomorrow's issue of Nature.
Fossil remains of the new species, Asilisaurus kongwe, date back to about 240 million years ago -- around 10 million years before the oldest known dinosaurs first emerged.
Aside from reshaping the dino timeline, Asilisaurus has shed new light on the evolution of dinosaurs. Researchers believe that dinosaurs and their relatives went from being exclusively meat-eaters to including plants in their diet.
This new species was about the size of a large dog. Its beak-like jaw and triangular teeth suggest the animal was an omnivore with a diet that consisted mostly of plants.
Asilisaurus belonged to a group called silesaurs -- creatures that shared many dinosaur characteristics but that still lacked key characteristics of all dinosaurs. The relationship is almost analogous to humans and chimps today.
Photo credit: Marlene Hill Donnelly, Field Museum
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