A research paper suggests that dinosaurs may have evolved wings and feathers earlier than before. In a detailed study of Edmonton Ornithomimosaurus fossils, scientists found wing-like forelimbs and hundreds of filament-like marks that suggested they had feathers. There has been new progress in the study of dinosaurs recently!
1. Ornithomimus
Edmonton Ornithomimus
Ornithomimus belongs to a group of dinosaurs whose fossil record predates Maniraptor by millions of years. This invention suggests that wings and feathers appeared earlier than previously thought. However, O. edmontonicus was not a flying dinosaur. Researchers estimate that they weighed around 150 kilograms, and their wings may have served other functions, such as courtship or hatching young.
2. African Pachygnathus
One of the most advanced herbivorous dinosaurs ever discovered
The African Pachygnathus had a short parrot-like beak and long teeth that looked like self-sharpening scissors. It was one of the most advanced herbivorous dinosaurs discovered so far. This dinosaur, smaller than a domestic cat, may have been covered in porcupine-like bristles and may have used its fangs for self-defense and to fight rivals in courtship.
3. Athosaurus australis
Possibly the oldest bone-crested dinosaur in the world
The scientific name of Acrotholus audeti is "Acrotholus audeti". It is the oldest bone-crested dinosaur discovered in North America and may also be the oldest bone-crested dinosaur in the world. Scientists confirmed the dinosaur's existence based on two skulls found in southern Alberta, Canada. The cranium of Athosaurus ostriches was 10 centimeters thick. Scientists describe the new species this week in the journal Nature Communications. They noted that this discovery means that more populations of small herbivorous dinosaurs may be discovered in the future.
4. Oviraptorosaurus
Tail wagging in courtship
Dinosaurs also used tail wagging to court. Scientists came to this conclusion after studying small flightless dinosaurs, modern birds and reptiles. Oviraptorosaurs had strong, soft tails with colorful feathers that they could show off. "A tail like this would be perfect for showing off their feathers," said Scott Pearsons, the paper's author.
5. Nyasalon
Not the oldest dinosaur
Although Nyasasaurus is not the oldest dinosaur, according to an upper arm bone and six vertebrae fossils discovered in Tanzania in the 1930s, scientists believe that Nyasasaurus was about the same size as a Labrador retriever, but its tail longer. Nyasasaurus lived in the southern region of Pangea about 243 million years ago, predating all other known dinosaurs by at least 10 million years.
6. Hunter Ghost Dragon
Not really a dinosaur
Hunter Ghost Dragon was a carnivorous pterosaur that lived 120 million years ago with a wingspan of up to 3 meters. In China, scientists have discovered the fossilized skull of this awe-inspiring flying animal. They pointed out in a paper published in the journal Nature in 2012 that the end of the hunter's beak had a complex arrangement of teeth, which may have been used for fishing. It should be pointed out that pterosaurs are not dinosaurs in the true sense. However, due to its unique characteristics, the editors of Wired magazine listed it among the top ten recent discoveries.
7. Spinosaurus
Spinosaurus
Acanthosaurus sternii weighed about 2 tons. The fossil of this dinosaur was discovered in 1916 by a father and son fossil collectors. It has been kept in the Natural History Museum in London and has been ignored for decades. Eventually, paleontologists realized the value of the fossils and cleaned them up for study. In a research paper published in 2012, they officially named the horned dinosaur.
8. Squirrel-like dragon
Squirrel-like dragon
The scientific name of Sciurimimus albersdoerferi is Sciurimimus albersdoerferi. It has feathers and is an ancient branch of the dinosaur family tree. The discovery means feathers may have been more common in the dinosaur family than most scientists expected.
animal tags： Dinosaurs research evolution Ornithomimosaurus Pachygnathosaurus Acrobatosaurus Oviraptorosaurus Nyasasaurus Ghostosaurus Spinosaurus Squirimimus
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