Consider the following statements regarding Tharosaurus indicus: It is...
Recently, scientists from IIT-Roorkee and Geological Survey of India (GSI) have discovered the oldest fossil remains of dicraeosaurid dinosaur in Jaisalmer.
- It is a long-necked, plant-eating dinosaur species.
- The remains are 167 million years old and belong to a new species, unknown to scientists thus far.
- It has been named ‘Tharosaurus indicus’, the first name referring to the ‘Thar desert’ where the fossils were found, and the second after its country of origin.
- According to the scientists, fossils of dicraeosaurid dinosaurs have been found previously in North and South Americas, Africa and China, but such fossils were not known from India.
- The rocks in which the fossils were found are dated to be around 167 million years old, which makes this new Indian sauropod not only the oldest known dicraeosaurid but also globally the oldest diplodocoid (broader group which includes dicraeosaurids and other closely related sauropods).
- Theories so far had suggested that the oldest dicraeosaurid was from China (about 166-164 million years old).
Hence only statement 2 is correct.
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Consider the following statements regarding Tharosaurus indicus: It is...
Statement 1: Tharosaurus indicus is a short necked, plant-eating dinosaur.
Tharosaurus indicus is indeed a short-necked, plant-eating dinosaur. It belonged to the group of dinosaurs known as sauropods, which were characterized by their long necks, small heads, and large bodies. Tharosaurus indicus specifically had a shorter neck compared to other sauropods, making it a distinctive species within this group. As a plant-eating dinosaur, it would have primarily fed on vegetation such as ferns, cycads, and conifers. Therefore, statement 1 is correct.
Statement 2: Tharosaurus indicus is globally known as the oldest diplodocoid species.
This statement is incorrect. Tharosaurus indicus is not known as the oldest diplodocoid species globally. Diplodocoids are a subgroup of sauropod dinosaurs that includes well-known species such as Diplodocus and Apatosaurus. Tharosaurus indicus, on the other hand, is not classified as a diplodocoid. It belongs to a different subgroup of sauropods called the titanosauriforms. Therefore, statement 2 is incorrect.
Conclusion:
Based on the analysis above, we can conclude that statement 1 is correct, but statement 2 is incorrect. Therefore, the correct answer is option B - 2 only.