Paleontologists were more often than not on the same Sir Frederick Handley Page about how dinosaurs distribute throughout Pangea . grounds showed that dinosaurs originated in the southern part ( Gondwana ) of the supercontinent and point to the northern one-half ( Laurasia ) over 1000000 of class , before the infamousasteroidwiped them out . Now , asGizmodoreports , a chicken - sized fossil is fox a pull into the narrative .

A newstudypublished in theZoological Journal of the Linnean Societysuggests that dinosaurs roamed Laurasia earlier than scientist thought . A team of American researcher expose a new specie , Ahvaytum bahndooiveche — likely a smaller , atypical relation ofsauropods(usually known for their large size of it , long neck and tail assembly , four legs , and herbivorous diet)—in Wyoming , which was close to the equator when it was part of Laurasia . The full - grown dinosaur was just12 inches talland about 3 foot long .

Although scientists do n’t have a complete specimen , they have been analyzing theAhvaytum bahndooivechefossils and surrounding rock deposit since 2013 using radioisotopic date ( a method that determines years by measuring radioactive decay ) . They guess the fossil to be over 230 million years old , which makes it the earliest Laurasian dinosaur ever describe . It ’s about the same age as the oldest fossils found in what was once Gondwana .

Gabriel Ugueto‘s illustration of Ahvaytum bahndooiveche.

“ We have , with these fogy , the oldest equatorial dinosaur in the universe — it ’s also North America ’s onetime dinosaur , ” Dave Lovelace , a research scientist at the University of Wisconsin Geology Museum and first author of the field of study , enjoin in astatement . The surprising discovery means dinosaur likely traveled to Laurasia from Gondwana much earlier than antecedently cogitate .

Gizmodo reports thatAhvaytum bahndooivechewas find on the ancestral territory of the Eastern Shoshone . Tribal elder and middle shoal student paint a picture the scientific name of the fossil ’s specie , which translates to “ long ago dinosaur ” in the Eastern Shoshone language .

show More About dinosaur :