Deepest Plateosaurus Fossil Discovered, Weighs More Than Two Mini Coopers

Rapid Summary

• The deepest dinosaur fossil on record, located 2,615 meters (8,579 feet) below sea level near the norwegian mainland, was discovered in an offshore oil field.
• The fossil belongs to the knucklebone of Plateosaurus engelhardti, a herbivorous prosauropod from the Late Triassic period (~210 million years ago).
• It is indeed also the first dinosaur fossil uncovered in Norwegian territory.
• The bone measuring 40 millimeters (1.6 inches) in diameter was found by accident during oil drilling in 1997 at Snorre Field and formally studied by researchers in a 2006 paper published in Norwegian Journal of Geology.
• Plateosaurus fossils are typically found across Europe and belong to one of the most common dinosaur families of their era.
• Adult Plateosaur specimens were sizeable creatures reaching lengths between six to ten meters (20-33 feet), standing on two legs with weights up to four tonnes (~two Mini Coopers).

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Indian Opinion Analysis

The finding underscores both scientific serendipity and deep-time geological processes, offering insights into global paleontological patterns. for India, where significant prehistoric treasures such as dinosaurs (Rajasaurus) have been unearthed domestically-most notably in Gujarat’s Cretaceous formations-the study highlights India’s role within broader global ecosystem research. Mapping species distribution like that seen with Plateosaurus provides clues about ancient life migration tied perhaps to continental drift theories rooted across regions including India.

Moreover, this landmark Norwegian discovery reiterates how complex ecosystems evolved differently based on semi-arid climates during periods like the Late Triassic-a subject relevant locally given India’s own unique ancient climatic stratifications leading early flora/fauna biodiversity indices globally predating humans themselves geo-distributed