**Remarkable 230-Million-Year-Old Fossil Rewrites Early Dinosaur Evolution** **LA RIOJA, Argentina, October 20, 2025** — Deep within the rugged, wind-swept peaks of Argentina's Andes Mountains, scientists have unearthed the nearly complete skeleton of a brand-new dinosaur species, *Huayracursor jaguensis*, that roamed the Earth an astonishing 230 million years ago. This groundbreaking discovery, announced by Argentina's National Council for Scientific and Technical Research (CONICET), marks one of the oldest dinosaur finds globally and offers an unprecedented look into the dawn of the dinosaur age. ^{[1][2][3][4][5]}The ancient creature, a primitive long-necked herbivore, is shedding new light on how the colossal sauropods, like the famous *Brontosaurus*, eventually evolved their towering necks and massive bodies. Its exceptional preservation in an almost unexplored geological basin promises to become a crucial reference point for paleontologists worldwide. ^[6][7][4][5]### The Full Story The discovery unfolded in the Quebrada de Santo Domingo, a remote and challenging region in Argentina's northwestern La Rioja province. Despite the harsh conditions—high altitudes, strong winds, and plummeting temperatures—a dedicated team of paleontologists from CONICET persevered. They ^[1][2][5]found the fossilized remains at an altitude of approximately 3,000 meters (about 9,800 feet) above sea level. The ^[1][7][3][4]team, which included researchers like Agustín Martinelli, Martín Hechenleitner, and Malena Juarez, carefully excavated what turned out to be an "almost complete and practically articulated" skeleton. This me^[1][2][4]ans many bones were still connected, providing an incredibly clear picture of the dinosaur's anatomy. The findings were so significant that they were published in the prestigious scientific journal *Nature* on October 15, 2025. *Huayr^{[1][2][7][3][4][5]}acursor jaguensis* has been dated to the Late Triassic period, a pivotal time roughly 230 to 225 million years ago when the first dinosaurs began to emerge and the early ancestors of mammals also appeared. The nam^{[1][2][7][3][4][5]}e itself is a nod to its origins: "Huayra" is the Quechua word for wind, "cursor" means "runner" in Latin, and "jaguensis" refers to the nearby Jagüé village. So, essentially, it's the "Jagüé windrunner." This ancie^[1][2]nt "windrunner" was a relatively small dinosaur, measuring about 2 meters (6.5 feet) long and weighing around 18 kilograms (40 pounds) as an adult. But here's ^[1][7][3][4]the thing: despite its modest size, *Huayracursor* already showed signs of a considerably longer neck and larger build compared to many of its contemporaries. This detail^[1][2][6] is crucial because it challenges long-held ideas about how sauropods evolved. ### What This Means For decades, paleontologists largely believed that the defining features of giant sauropods – their immense size and incredibly long necks – developed gradually over millions of years. But *Huayracursor jaguensis* suggests that these traits began to appear much earlier in their evolutionary journey. Martín Hechenle^[6]itner, a CONICET researcher and lead author, noted that the species is "novel because it exhibits two key features: a considerably longer neck and a larger size than most of its contemporaries." He added, "These^[1] aspects confirm a very early and synchronous appearance of both characteristics, which were fundamental to the evolutionary history of sauropodomorphs." This discovery ^[1]is like finding an early blueprint for a skyscraper that still has elements of a smaller building, showing that some of the grandest ideas were there from the start. It means scientists might need to rethink the timeline of sauropod evolution and how these incredible creatures transformed from small, bipedal forms into the towering giants that dominated later periods. **Key Points:**^[6] * A new dinosaur species, *Huayracursor jaguensis*, was discovered in Argentina's Andes. * It lived app^[1][2]roximately 230-225 million years ago, making it one of the world's oldest dinosaurs. * The fossil i^{[1][2][7][3][4][5]}s an "almost complete and practically articulated" skeleton, offering rare detail. * *Huayracurso^{[1][2][7][3][4]}r* was a primitive sauropodomorph, an ancestor to giant long-necked dinosaurs. * Its relative^[1][2][6][3]ly long neck and larger size for its time suggest key sauropod traits evolved earlier than previously thought. ### The Bigger ^[1][2][6]Picture Argentina has long been a treasure trove for dinosaur discoveries, with numerous ancient fossils unearthed in its rich geological formations. For instance, another very old dinosaur, *Eoraptor lunensis*, a small predator dating back around 228-231 million years, was famously found in Argentina's Ischigualasto Badlands in 1991. These earlier fi^{[8][9][10][11][12]}nds, along with *Huayracursor*, underscore Argentina's importance as a window into the earliest days of dinosaur life. What's more, the Quebrada de Santo Domingo site itself is proving to be incredibly significant. Over the last decade, it has yielded not only this new dinosaur but also other Triassic species like rhynchosaurs and cynodonts, which are early mammal relatives. Agustín Martinel^[2][7][5]li, another CONICET researcher, highlighted that "this new region, within a geological basin practically unexplored, opens a perspective of great discoveries." It's like finding^[5] a new, untouched library filled with ancient scrolls. ### What Happens Next? The work is far from over. Malena Juarez, one of the researchers, is currently focusing her doctoral thesis on describing the remains of *Huayracursor* in intricate detail. This will help scientists fully understand its anatomy and its connections to other early dinosaurs found across South America, Africa, and even India. Researchers will^[5] continue to explore the Quebrada de Santo Domingo, hopeful that this "extraordinary" site will reveal even more secrets about the Triassic period and the origins of life on Earth. Each bone, each fragment, helps piece together the incredible story of evolution and how our planet's ancient inhabitants came to be. This remarkable "windrunner" is more than just an old fossil; it's a key to unlocking deeper mysteries of dinosaur history.