New Late Cretaceous Dinosaur Species Discovered

Thescelosaurus assinoboiensis - Scampering Saskatchewan Resident

Canadian scientists have announced the invention of a replacement dinosaur species, a comparatively quick running, Late Cretaceous member of the Ornithopods (a cluster of bird-hipped dinosaurs). The Maastrichtian stage fossil (66 million years previous approximately), consists of components of the skull, the pelvis and different parts of the skeleton. The new species has been named Thescelosaurus assiniboiensis once the region and also the native Indians of that a part of Canada.

Commenting on the invention, Tim Tokaryk, head of Palaeontology for the Royal Saskatchewan Museum stated though the dinosaur was little there are options within the back-end of the skull, and a number of options within the pelvis that are quite distinct amongst all different known species of Thescelosaurus. based mostly on those options, it's been created a replacement species.

Perhaps no over 3 metres in length, this biped had to own sharp senses and a flip of speed if it absolutely was to avoid changing into a meal for the big Theropods, like Tyrannosaurs that shared its Late Cretaceous home. With no obvious defences, running away might are the simplest survival strategy for this comparatively little dinosaur.

Tokaryk has additionally worked on Tyrannosaurus rex excavations, the analysis team recognize there have been little dinosaurs around at that point as a result of they found fragments, teeth and such like that. however to seek out a partial skeleton of 1 individual, that creates science attention-grabbing and additionally makes it additional helpful to be ready to establish it as a replacement species or a species normally.

The specimen was collected from the Frenchman River Valley close to Eastend in 1968 however was solely identified recently when Caleb Brown, a master's student from the University of Calgary, studied the bones for his thesis. This appears concerning par for the course because the specific name for the primary Thescelosaurus specimen assigned to the present genus is T. neglectus a reference to the actual fact that these fossils weren't studied till twenty-two years once they were initial discovered.

The formal study and naming of this new sort of dinosaur helps scientists to piece along additional info concerning specific ecosystems and the way dinosaurs tailored to totally different habitats. Although, not as spectacular as a number of its prehistoric cousins, animals like the horned dinosaur Triceratops, or the enormous duck-billed dinosaur Parasaurolophus, the analysis on T. assiniboiensis helps scientists to grasp additional concerning the variety these days Cretaceous Dinosauria. it's not known whether or not the fossils are going to be placed on show in a very museum, additional bones are going to be needed to create up an exhibit.