The first ever dinosaur cousins apparently emerged some 10 million years later than first thought, where these creatures then evolved rapidly into a massive species that would dominate the entire planet, according to a new study.

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Using a new dating technique, researchers from the University of Utah were able to accurately determine the age of these early dinosaur relatives called dinosauromorphs, where scientists found the remains in Argentina.

According to lead author of the study, palaeontologist Randall Irmis from the Natural History Museum of Utah, if one would meet an early dinosauromorph, you would assume that it's a dinosaur.

The remains discovered from the Argentinian Chanares Formation included dinosauromorph fossils of a 70 centimeter long Lagerpeton chanarensis, that is believed to run on its hind legs and the smaller Marasuchus dinosauromorph.

Irmis says that this is considered as a classic fossil assemblage around the world, where these early dinosaur relatives lie beneath these layers that are mixed with volcanic ash. This volcanic ash has also been crucial for determining the age of these fossils.

Researchers analyzed the ratio of uranium to lead in the zircon crystals found in the volcanic ash where the team were able to obtain the precise date when the zircon was formed and establish the age of the fossils that are preserved within the layers of ash and sediment.

According to Irmis, this fossil layer is apparently a lot younger in geological terms than previously thought. Initially, scientists thought it was between 240 to 245 million years old but this new evidence reveals that the fossils are about 235 million years old.

These early dinosauromorphs used to live during the late Triassic period  which is also much closer to when dinosaurs first appeared in fossils, some 231 million years ago.

This new study challenges the notion when exactly the dinosaurs dominated the world after a massive end-Permian extinction event that occurred some 252 million years ago that wiped out most terrestrial creatures on the planet.

Irmis says that the early dinosauromorph fossils are apparently recording how ecosystems recovered from this extinction event and how flora and fauna were finally getting back to normal, evolving and diversifying more rapidly than ever.

This new study is published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Tagsevolution of dinosaurs, dinosauromorphs, dinosaur relatives, first dinosaur relatives appeared earlier, early dinosaurs