**Tietasaura: A Unique Dinosaur from Brazil**
Tietasaura is a type of dinosaur that lived a long time ago during the Early Cretaceous period. This was about 140 million years ago! It is a member of a bigger group of dinosaurs called ornithopods, which are known for their ability to walk on two legs. Tietasaura is special because it is the first dinosaur from Brazil to be named in this group.
**What do we know about Tietasaura?**
The name Tietasaura means “Tieta lizard.” It is based on a famous character from a Brazilian novel. The part of Tietasaura that scientists found is an incomplete femur, which is a thigh bone. This bone was discovered in 1906 during an expedition by the Natural History Museum in London. The discovery took place along a beach in Bahia, Brazil, and was part of a long series of dinosaur hunts in South America.
Initially, the bone was thought to belong to a different type of animal, but later studies confirmed it was from a dinosaur. In 2024, scientists formally described Tietasaura derbyiana, naming it after a geologist named Orville A. Derby who contributed to the study of fossils in Brazil.
**Where does Tietasaura fit in?**
In the family tree of dinosaurs, Tietasaura belongs to a group called Elasmaria. Within this family, it has a close relationship with another dinosaur named Notohypsilophodon. This connection helps scientists understand how dinosaurs evolved and what they were like.
So, Tietasaura is not just a dinosaur from Brazil, but it also gives us insights into the rich history of dinosaurs from this part of the world. Exploring the fossils of Tietasaura helps us learn more about the amazing creatures that once roamed our planet.