Brazil's first dinosaur litter discovered in Minas Gerais

Have you ever imagined coming across a litter of dinosaurs?

It may seem like something totally impossible, right? After all, dinosaurs have been extinct for millions of years, right?

So how could it be impossible to find a dinosaur litter? That's what we're going to talk about in today's text!

In this content, we will talk a little more about a piece of news that was released in the last few days and which is, without a doubt, one of the biggest discoveries in recent years.

The discovery of the first dinosaur litter in Brazil

A recent discovery has placed a city in Minas Gerais in the spotlight of scholars and admirers of Paleontology from around the world.

And the stage for this discovery was Uberaba, where Brazilian and Argentine scientists found the first dinosaur nest in Brazilian territory.

According to the scientists responsible for the discovery, this location – which would have been a place chosen by dinosaurs to lay their eggs – would have been chosen by female herbivorous dinosaurs known as titanosaurs to have their young.

The researchers' discovery was made in a disused limestone mine in the rural area of Uberaba, in Minas Gerais. 

Due to its importance, the discovery was published in the specialized journal Scientific Reports, from the Nature group, last Thursday, the 24th.

Was this the first discovery of its kind here in Brazil?

Yes and no. 

Although it is not the first discovery of dinosaur eggs here in Brazil – as some isolated specimens have already been discovered – the discovery in Minas Gerais draws attention due to its quantity.

This time, researchers found 20 dinosaur eggs at the site.

Eggs have been found in several parts of Brazil – such as in the interior of São Paulo – but never in such a large quantity.

Who was responsible for the discovery of the first dinosaur litter in Brazil?

The person responsible for this important discovery was João Ismael da Silva. 

In addition to working as a civil servant at the Cultural Foundation of the Municipal Government of Uberaba, João also works as a paleontology technician at the Llewellyn Ivor Price Paleontological Research Center, at the Peirópolis Cultural and Scientific Complex, Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro.

According to João, he found out about the occurrence of dinosaur eggs in the 90s, through friends who worked in mining during the period in which the mines were in operation.

Although he was the discoverer, João had help to continue the process.

Those responsible for this assistance – and also for signing the article that was published in Scientific Reports, with details of the exploration – were paleontologists Luiz Carlos Borges Ribeiro and Thiago Marinho, from UFTM (Universidade Federal do Triângulo Mineiro). 

In addition to this duo, Argentines Lucas Fiorelli and Agustín Martinelli, from the Regional Center for Scientific Research of La Rioja and the Argentine Museum of Natural Sciences.

Other scientists from Brazil and Argentina also took part in this event.

During an interview given to the newspaper Folha de São Paulo, Borges Ribeiro even raised the possibility of the area where the discovery occurred becoming something equivalent to Auca Mahuevo.

But what could this place with such a peculiar name be?

Meet Auca Mahuevo

This name may sound a little strange and may not be known to the vast majority of Brazilians, but this area is extremely important for the field of paleontology.

Auca Mahuevo It is located in a region called Argentine Patagonia. And the fame of this place among paleontologists is not for nothing!

The site is known for housing hundreds of thousands of titanosaur eggs – the same species responsible for the clutch found here in Brazil.

Titanosaurs – which were known for their size – were born measuring a few tens of centimeters but, as they developed, they could grow to be over 

 meters long. Pretty big, right?

Studies have shown that the impressive number of eggs of this species is due to the fact that these dinosaurs were an important species of herbivore here in South America.

According to estimates, the constant presence of this species here occurred during the Cretaceous period. 

This period is considered the last before the events that culminated in the extinction of the dinosaurs.

Meet Auca Mahuevo

In addition to the large number of titanosaur egg specimens, Auca Mahuevo also draws attention when it comes to the conservation of these samples.

Some of these eggs found at the site are in perfect condition.

To give you an idea, it is entirely possible to use the samples to study in more detail the anatomy of the titanosaur embryos that were in the eggs.

So far, the number of eggs found in Minas Gerais is much lower than the number found in Auca Mahuevo, but future explorations may reveal new surprises about the site.

And although studies and CT scans have so far indicated that there are no hatchlings inside the eggs found here, that doesn't make the discovery any less commendable. Quite the opposite.

It is still possible to use the specimens found to obtain a wealth of information about the area and the behavior of the species itself.

Other discoveries in Minas Gerais 

Although the discovery of the dinosaur litter is extremely important, it is not new that Uberaba – and Minas Gerais itself – attracts attention when it comes to paleontology.

Large quantities of titanosaur skeletons have been found both around the city and in other parts of the state of Minas Gerais.

Already fossilized, these previous discoveries served to give more strength to the theory that pointed to the place as one of the most frequented during the Cretaceous period.

Conclusion

So, what did you think of this discovery? 

Many of us are used to hearing stories related to paleontological discoveries like these in other countries.

Therefore, we may end up forgetting that our country also has its historical sites. 

And that, with the right investment, we can make so many other discoveries as wonderful as this one.

It is up to the government and entities responsible for this area to make the necessary investments.

Did you like this content? Then take the opportunity to read it too Spinosaurus: Scientists announce discovery in Portugal