In search of Marília's dinosaurs
Globo soap opera revives excavation of rare fossils discovered in the interior of São Paulo.
247 – Starting next Wednesday, excavations will resume for fossils of a rare titanosaur, discovered in 2009 in the Marília region, in the interior of São Paulo state. The excavations will be carried out through a partnership between the Paleontology Museum (maintained by the Municipality of Marília), the University of Brasília (UNB), the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), and the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS).
According to paleontologist and coordinator of the Marília Paleontology Museum, William Nava, there is great expectation of discovering material of "great scientific value" and also unraveling the mysteries of our history in the lands of São Paulo, which is still considered very scarce. "Science is driven by curiosity and transforms humanity," says the paleontologist.
The titanosaur was a species of herbivorous, quadrupedal dinosaur that measured approximately 12 meters in length and lived during the Cretaceous period, about 100 million years ago. According to William Nava, this is the species sought in the TV Globo soap opera "Morde e Assopra" by the protagonist, played by actress Adriana Esteves – who portrays a paleontologist. "The titanosaur is considered one of the largest Brazilian dinosaurs and lived in practically all of South America, which is why it arouses so much curiosity among us scientists," states the researcher.
According to Willian Nava, the titanosaur is of paramount importance for research due to the degree of articulation in the fossils. “We researchers believe that after all the work of removing the bone material from the rock, which will be brought to the Museum or even to another study site, we will be able to discover very important details about these fossils. Then, through morphological studies of the bones and vertebrae, we will be able to determine if it is a new species of titanosaur or not. We believe there is a probability that it is. I would also like to emphasize that there is a high chance of finding the animal's skull, and this has motivated us even more. Overall, it is a very important discovery for Brazilian science,” he analyzes.
Mayor Mário Bulgareli boasts: “Marília is known worldwide for the work presented in the museum, and now with the soap opera Morde e Assopra, our city has been presented to Brazil and the world, since the soap opera also airs on Globo Internacional. We are very happy with this exposure.”