250-million-year-old Dinosaur Fossil named after 'Lord of the Rings' character

According to a new study, a group of researchers have found the fossils of a previously unknown reptile from the Early Triassic Period that has a long bony neck and long legs. The researchers reportedly named the lizard as 'Strider' after the famous 'Lord of The Rings' character which lived to have a history dating back to 250 million years. The study which was published in the journal, 'PLOS ONE' states that the rare fossil was of 'Elessaurus Gondwanocciens' which has now been named Strider.

Dinosaur fossil named after 'Lord of the Rings' character

According to reports, the first name of the dinosaur has been taken from the JRR Tolkien's Elvish language called Quenya, which refers 'Elessar' as the 'Elf-stone'. Elessar Telcontar is also the name chosen by King Argon II, who also goes by the nicknames Strider and Longshanks. The story of this fossil began with the largest mass extinction event in Earth’s known history, which took place approximately 250 million years ago at the end of the Permian era. 

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As per reports, though studies show about the extinction of the dinosaurs 66 million years ago through an asteroid, the cause of the Permian extinction is still unknown. The researchers believe that volcanic eruptions and a warming climate might have played a significant role in their extinction.

Meanwhile, the evolution of animal life reportedly happened in the years after the Permian mass extinction event took place, but some groups flourished more than others and the category of reptiles called archosaurs was among them. These kinds of dinosaurs included; plant-eating ones; armored, crocodile-like reptiles; and primitive ones. They lived and had spread out across the globe during the Triassic Period. Several kinds of research show specimens of these long-necked reptiles that have appeared over the years, usually from the Middle to Late Triassic period in areas across Asia, Europe, and North America.

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According to reports, these reptiles had long necks which included eight and thirteen elongated vertebrae. The long neck of the reptile carried down to an elongated spine that was relatively low to the ground. This research came as a complete surprise for the researchers who discovered the Early Triassic fossil of a similar-looking reptile in southern Brazil’s Sanga do Cabral Formation.

Image credit: Pixabay