Scientists have found the stays of a brand new dinosaur – feasting on an historical crocodile bone.
The brand new discover in Argentina hails from a mysterious group of dinosaurs referred to as megaraptorans – and was regarded as 23ft lengthy.
It in all probability lived between 66 and 70 million years in the past – near the time dinosaurs went extinct – and was no less than 19 years outdated when it died, though scientists have no idea what killed it.
An artist’s illustration of the newly found dinosaur. Pic: Andrew McAfee, Carnegie Museum of Pure Historical past through AP
Researchers mentioned they uncovered a part of a cranium in addition to an arm, leg and tail bones from the Lago Colhue Huapi rock formation in Patagonia.
They seen distinctive options within the bones that made them realise this could possibly be a brand new species.
The entrance leg bone pressed towards its jaws – belonging to an historical relative of crocodiles – might reveal clues to its weight loss plan.
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Megaraptorans prowled throughout what’s now South America, Australia and components of Asia, splitting off into totally different species over thousands and thousands of years, in line with specialists.
They had been identified for his or her stretched-out skulls and “enormous and really highly effective claws”, the scientists added.
Researcher Marcelo Luna holding a dinosaur claw. Pic: Marcelo Luna through AP
This newest member of the megaraptoran clan – named Joaquinraptor casali – “fills a significant hole by offering one of the vital full skeletons but”, mentioned Federico Agnolin, with the Argentine Museum of Pure Science Bernardino Rivadavia.
Lucio Ibiricu with the Patagonian Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, who was a part of the invention workforce, named the brand new dinosaur in reminiscence of his son Joaquin.
The analysis was revealed within the journal Nature Communications.
