Brazilian Scientists Race to Recover Fossils Unearthed by Massive Floods

Scientists in Brazil are racing to gather fossils uncovered by recent heavy floods before they are destroyed.

In May, record flooding washed away soil in parts of southern Brazil, revealing the remnants of at least 35 ancient creatures. Among them was a 233-million-year-old dinosaur skeleton, possibly the oldest ever discovered, belonging to the two-legged predator Gnathovorax cabreirai.

But the thrill of such finds has been tempered by the growing urgency to recover fossils before they are lost. Fossil can disintegrate in water, which is abundant in the wake of floods. Four of 29 fossil sites are still flooded, while others have been battered by summer rainfall, Nature reports.

The tiniest bones are of greatest concern, as they are the most likely to crumble in water or to be washed away by rain. And such bones, whether they belong to creatures big or small, are a vital record of prehistoric life. For instance, ear bones, which can measure just a fraction of an inch, reveal a great deal about the intelligence of ancient creatures.

Speaking with Nature, Leonardo Kerber of the Federal University of Santa Maria said, “If paleontologists are not there to collect material when it starts showing, we risk losing some of it forever.”