Researchers have found a new species of a semi-aquatic reptile that existed millions of years ago. The fossil was found off the Autopista del Nordeste (officially the Juan Pablo II toll road to Samana from Santo Domingo) near the Gonzalo community, in the Sabana Grande de Boya municipality.
The curator of the paleontologist collection at the National Museum of Natural History, Juan Almonte, told reporters that the complete head of the semi-aquatic relative of crocodiles dates back millions of years, quite possibly between four and seven million years. He noted that this could be an entirely new species.
The fossil was discovered by a team of paleontologists and geologists from the Dominican Republic, the United States, France, Puerto Rico, and Cuba.
According to Almonte, only fragments of a similar creature have been fund in Puerto Rico, but nothing so large at the complete skull from Monte Plata. Excavations in the area have been going on for over six years.
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Listin Diario
20 June 2023