A team at Utah University, led by by Joseph Sertich, has found the preserved partial skeleton of the new species in Utah's red rocks, which confirms the widespread success of the sauropodomorph dinosaurs during the Early Jurassic Period some 175 million to 200 million years ago.
The new species, named Seitaad ruessi, is part of a group of dinosaurs known as sauropodomorphs who were found across the globe during the Early Jurassic, when all of the continents were still together in the supercontinent Pangaea.
Early sauropodomorphs, including Seitaad, had long necks and tails with small heads and leaf-shaped teeth; these same traits were carried on in their much larger descendents, the sauropods, say the palaeontologists.
"Although Seitaad was preserved in a sand dune, this ancient desert must have included wetter areas with enough plants to support these smaller dinosaurs and other animals. Just like in deserts today, life would have been difficult in Utah's ancient 'sand sea'," Sertich said.
Added team member Mark Loewen: "We know from geologic evidence that seasonal rainstorms like today's summer monsoons provided much of the moisture in this sand sea, filling ponds and other low spots between the sand dunes."
Even though Seitaad was quite small, it was likely the largest herbivore during this time period in southern Utah. "This new find suggests that there may be more dinosaurs yet to be discovered in these rocks," Sertich said.
The findings have been published in the 'PLoS One' journal.