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Roraima has just become the scene of a true prehistoric adventure. Researchers from the state’s Federal University found fossilized footprints, some of giants measuring more than 10 meters, in the Bonfim region, almost on the border with Guyana.
“I saw a slab, which is like a sandstone outcrop, about 50 centimeters to 1 meter high, which was not on the maps. But I can tell you that those giant dinosaurs, more than 10 meters tall, we found footprints, even small footprints of velociraptors”, said Vladimir de Souza, professor of geology and leader of the research.
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The mystery began in 2011, when the professor noticed strange patterns in the rocks, and it took 14 years of study until it was confirmed that those craters were real dinosaur tracks.
Six genera have already been identified, but scientists believe that more than 20 different types of dinosaurs once roamed the region. “We are expanding this research here to the state, to other places. And, each time, more is being found. We are not realizing so much that still has to be studied here”, stated Vladimir.
Furthermore, the team discovered plant fossils from the same period, including conifers, ferns and flowering plants, which helped form the lavrado, a typical biome in the state. “We have had a whole series of transformations in the biota. For example, the plants have diversified a lot. We now find conifers, like pine trees, flowering plants, ferns”, added Carlos Vieira, the research anthropologist.
With the find, the expectation is to create a geological park in Bonfim, transforming Roraima into an unmissable destination for tourists, paleontologists and adventurers in search of traces of the Brazilian Jurassic world.
