10 July 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

The remains of a very uncommon’ dinosaur species have been discovered in Brazil

Researchers have uncovered the remains of a toothless, two-legged dinosaur species that lived 70 million years ago in Brazil, calling it an “extremely unusual” find.

Theropod, a group whose members were virtually always thought to be carnivores, is the little dinosaur, which reached around 1m long and 80cm tall.

However, the new species, Berthasaura Leopoldinae, has a beak-like mouth with no teeth.

Geovane Alves de Souza, Marina Bento Soares, Luiz Carlos Weinschütz published their findings in the journal Nature, calling the discovery “one of the most complete dinosaurs found from the Cretaceous period in Brazil”.

“That was a real surprise,” the paleontologists who made the find said in a statement released by Brazil’s National Museum.

The fossil remains of a new species of dinosaur discovered in Cruzeiro do Oeste, Brazil, are seen in this handout picture released on. (National Musem of Rio de Janeiro)
The fossil remains of a new species of dinosaur discovered in Cruzeiro do Oeste, Brazil, are seen in this handout picture released on. (National Musem of Rio de Janeiro)

“The toothless part raises doubts about what kind of diet this animal had,” said researcher Geovane Alves Souza, one of the study’s authors.

“It doesn’t necessarily mean it didn’t eat meat, though. Lots of birds, such as falcons and buzzards, eat meat with beaks. Most likely, it was an omnivore living in an inhospitable environment where it had to eat whatever it could.”

The fossilized skeleton was found along a rural road in the southern state of Parana between 2011 and 2014.

Analysis revealed it was an entirely new species that lived between 70 million and 80 million years ago.

The species was named for Bertha Lutz, a revered Brazilian scientist and feminist who died in 1976, and for Maria Leopoldina, Brazil’s 19th-century empress, who was a patron of the sciences.

Related Articles

8,000-year-old Female Figurine Discovered in Ulucak Höyük in Western Türkiye

15 August 2024

15 August 2024

One of the most prominent and oldest Neolithic sites found in what is now Turkey has yielded yet another interesting...

Czech experimental archaeologists successfully completed their 1-month voyage in the Aegean Sea using a replica of a prehistoric vessel

17 July 2023

17 July 2023

Radomír Tichý, an archeology professor at the University of Hradec Králové who is also the director of the Všestary Archeopark,...

Archaeologists Uncover Oldest Greek Marble Altar in Western Mediterranean at Tartessian Site in Spain

7 July 2025

7 July 2025

The discovery of the Oldest Greek Marble Altar in the Western Mediterranean offers unprecedented insight into Tartessian culture and its...

Ancient Mythical Castle “Sörby Borg” Discovered on Swedish Island Creates Archaeological Sensation

4 August 2021

4 August 2021

A text from the early 18th century mentions the castle, which has become a bit of a legend. It has...

Archaeologists Find the Missing Link of the Alphabet

15 April 2021

15 April 2021

Researchers believe that Tel Lachish pottery is the oldest of its kind found in the region, and could explain how...

A unique 2,800-year-old ivory-decorated piece was discovered in the Ancient City of Hattusa

13 November 2023

13 November 2023

An ivory-decorated piece, estimated to be approximately 2,800 years old, was found during the archaeological excavation in the Hattusa Ancient...

The first ivory work of art recovered from the World Heritage cave Hohle Fels was believed to be a horse – until archaeologists made a new discovery-

30 July 2023

30 July 2023

For more than 20 years, the first ivory work of art recovered from the World Heritage cave Hohle Fels was...

Manuscript Portal Brings Medieval Manuscripts from Greifswald Online

24 April 2024

24 April 2024

Greifswald’s oldest books can be accessed digitally via another new portal. The Manuscript Portal (HSP) is the central online portal...

People may have been cooking curries in South-East Asia for at least 2000 years

22 July 2023

22 July 2023

Archaeologists have found remnants of eight spices on a sandstone slab from an archaeological site in Vietnam, showing the early...

Archeological study shows unearthed Byzantine warrior had gold-threaded jaw

30 September 2021

30 September 2021

A Byzantine warrior who was beheaded after the Ottomans captured his fort in the 14th century had a jaw threaded...

Export barred on roundel manuscript gifted to Queen Elizabeth I by Archbishop

12 September 2022

12 September 2022

A rare presentation manuscript that Archbishop of Canterbury Matthew Parker gave to Queen Elizabeth I in 1573 has been sold...

Mysterious ruins discovered at the bottom of Lake Van, Türkiye’s largest lake

16 August 2023

16 August 2023

At the bottom of Lake Van, Türkiye’s largest salty soda lake with 3,712 square kilometers, divers discovered a cemetery and...

Researchers may have uncovered the ruins of one of the largest ancient cafeterias for a Buddhist temple

9 February 2025

9 February 2025

Researchers have made a groundbreaking discovery at the site of the Yamashiro Kokubunji temple, revealing what is believed to be...

7,000-Year-Old Canoes Reveal Early Development of Nautical Technology in Mediterranean

21 March 2024

21 March 2024

The discovery of five “technologically sophisticated” canoes in Italy has revealed that  Neolithic people were navigating the Mediterranean more than...

The researchers unearthed the earliest evidence of warfare and organized arming in the Southern Levant

28 November 2023

28 November 2023

Israel Antiquities Authority researchers have unearthed the earliest evidence of warfare and organized arming in the Southern Levant, dating back...