A 245 million years old fossil named Nyasasaurus parringtoni was officially determined the earliest known dinosaur on 4th December, 2012; meaning dinosaurs had roamed the Earth at least 10 million years earlier than the previously believed "dawn of the dinosaurs."
Unearthed in Tanzania in the 1930s and mostly ignored for decades, the fossil’s story was brought to light through meticulous analysis by paleontologists in collaboration with museums. The dating of the Nyasasaurus also bridged the gap between early archosaurs (dinosaur ancestors) and true dinosaurs, with characteristics such as rapid bone growth and distinct sacral vertebrae.
In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly ask whether a T-Rex the size of a labrador retriever would remain terrifying; consider what else might be hiding in the depths of the Natural History Museum’s ‘boring bits’; and attempt to summarise the pre-dinosaur history of Planet Earth in sixty seconds…
Further Reading:
• ’The Earliest Known Dino?’ (Science, 2012): https://www.science.org/content/article/earliest-known-dino
• ‘Scientists Discover Oldest Known Dinosaur’ (Smithsonian, 2012):
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/scientists-discover-oldest-known-dinosaur-152807497/
• World's Oldest Known Dinosaur Identified (Slate, 2012): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YlhkP8kKMBQ
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