Ancient fossils unearthed near Dubois, Wyoming, have led to groundbreaking scientific findings and a meaningful collaboration with Native communities, ICT News reports.
Researchers from the University of Wisconsin Geology Museum uncovered North America’s oldest-known dinosaur, a diminutive creature named Ahvaytum bahndooiveche, whose name pays homage to the Eastern Shoshone language.
This discovery not only rewrites the timeline for reptile evolution in the Northern Hemisphere but also represents a new approach to including Indigenous perspectives in paleontology.
In 2013, a team led by Dr. David Lovelace and graduate student Aaron Kufner identified fossils in the lower Popo Agie Formation, a pinkish-red rock extrusion near Dubois. What appeared to the untrained eye as a simple patch of rocky soil held fossils dating back 230 million years, a period that precedes previously documented dinosaur records in North America.
Ahvaytum bahndooiveche, roughly the size of a chicken, had a beak-like mouth, feathers, and a long tail. The discovery required years of meticulous stratigraphic research and fossil analysis to accurately date the formation and establish its historical significance.
“When we saw that [age], it kind of blew our minds,” Lovelace said.
He described how the findings challenge the prevailing understanding of reptile emergence in the region.
When the time came to name the dinosaur, the research team chose to break from the traditional Latin-based conventions of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature. They sought to honor the Indigenous heritage of the land where the discovery was made.
Partnering with Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho tribal members, including elders and school groups, the team collaborated to create a meaningful name for the dinosaur. Reba Teran and Amanda LeClair-Diaz, an Indian education coordinator at Fort Washakie School, played key roles in this process.
Ahvaytum bahndooiveche translates to “long ago dinosaur” in the Shoshone language. Several tribal members were credited as co-authors in the official scientific publication.
“The continuous relationship developed between Dr. Lovelace, his team, our school district, and our community is one of the most important outcomes of the discovery and naming of Ahvaytum bahndooiveche,” LeClair-Diaz said.
The collaboration marked a departure from traditional research practices, where communities, especially Indigenous ones, are often left out of the research process.
“We want to go beyond just naming it after something,” Lovelace emphasized. “We really want to incorporate that community.”
Despite its small size, Ahvaytum bahndooiveche may be related to sauropods, the giant herbivorous dinosaurs known for their long necks and massive bodies. Lovelace theorizes that this ancient dinosaur lived in a climate similar to present-day coastal Texas, characterized by alternating wet and dry periods.
The discovery site has also yielded fossils of a new amphibian species, additional dinosaur specimens, and significant fossil tracks. Lovelace and his team continue to explore the site, driven by the curiosity that first led them there.
“There’s so much history tied up in the rocks,” Lovelace said.
