Thaindian News

New York, Dec 20 (IANS) The remains of large-bodied plant eating dinosaurs have been unearthed for the first time in Antarctica, say researchers.

Until now, remains of sauropods, one of the most diverse and widespread species of herbivorous dinosaurs, had been recovered from all continents except the Antarctica.

A team led by researcher Ignacio Alejandro Cerda from the National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET) Argentina, identified the remains and suggested that advanced titanosaurs (sauropods) achieved a global distribution at least by the Late Cretaceous.

The Cretaceous Period existed between 65.5 and 99.6 million years ago, and ended with the extinction of the dinosaurs, the journal Naturwissenschaften - The Science of Nature reported.

Sauropods include the largest terrestrial vertebrates. Although many sauropod remains have been discovered in North and South America, Africa, Asia, Australia and Europe, there is no previous record of sauropoda in the Antarctica, according to a university statement.

Cerda and colleagues report the first finding of a sauropod dinosaur from the continent and provide a detailed description of an incomplete middle-tail vertebra that was recovered from James Ross Island.

“Our discovery and subsequent report of these sauropod dinosaur remains from Antarctica improves our current knowledge of the dinosaurian faunas during the Late Cretaceous on this continent,” concluded the study authors.