Aussie dinosaur bone takes bite out of theory of continental drift
SOURCE: AFP (6-10-08)
A dinosaur bone discovered in Australia has defied prevailing wisdom about how the world's continents separated from a super-continent millions of years ago, a new study published on Tuesday said.
The 19-centimetre (eight-inch) bone was found in southeastern Australia but it comes from a very close cousin to Megaraptor, a flesh-ripping monster that lorded over swathes of South American some 90 million years ago.
The extraordinary similarity between the two giant theropods adds weight to a dissident view about the breakup of a super-continent, known as Gondwana, that formed the continents of the southern hemisphere, the authors say.
The 19-centimetre (eight-inch) bone was found in southeastern Australia but it comes from a very close cousin to Megaraptor, a flesh-ripping monster that lorded over swathes of South American some 90 million years ago.
The extraordinary similarity between the two giant theropods adds weight to a dissident view about the breakup of a super-continent, known as Gondwana, that formed the continents of the southern hemisphere, the authors say.
Source:
AFP
Source URL:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080610/sc_afp/sciencedinosaurspaleontologygeology_080610230637
Date:
6-10-08
Jumping the gun.
The super continent was Pangea, when it broke into two it was Gonwonaland and Lurasia before the next separation.