Paleontologists have uncovered the oldest and most full dome-headed dinosaur fossils to this point in Mongolia’s Gobi Desert.
The fossils, that are between 108 million and 115 million years outdated, push again the timeline for the emergence of dome-head dinosaurs, or pachycephalosaurs, by about 15 million years. The new fossils may additionally reveal particulars concerning the evolution and improvement of those dinosaurs’ weird rounded skulls.
Some scientists suppose the thick skulls of pachycephalosaurs helped them entice mates and fend off competitors, whereas others recommend that these weirdos did not butt heads, however as a substitute kick-boxed like kangaroos. But how their rounded skulls developed is a thriller. Most identified pachycephalosaur fossils are incomplete, and scientists have not discovered many fossils from early of their improvement.
Now, in a brand new research, printed Wednesday (Sept. 17) within the journal Nature, a gaggle of paleontologists report a fossil which may maintain some solutions. In japanese Mongolia, the crew discovered the fossilized stays of a dome-headed dinosaur from the Early Cretaceous interval (145 million to 100 million years in the past). They named the newly found species Zavacephalae rinpoche.
Zavacephalae comes from the Tibetan phrase “zava,” that means root or origin, and the Latin phrase “cephal,” that means head. “Rinpoche” is a Tibetan phrase that means “precious one,” so named as a result of the crew discovered the cranium protruding of a cliff like a sophisticated jewel.
The fossil included about 54% of the dinosaur’s bones, together with the cranium and full tail, in addition to a number of hand and leg bones and abdomen stones that helped Z. rinpoche grind its meals. In life, the dinosaur seemingly measured about 3.3 ft (1 meter) lengthy and weighed about 12.9 kilos (5.85 kilograms).
“We age dinosaurs by looking at growth rings in bones, but most pachycephalosaur skeletons are just isolated, fragmentary skulls,” Zanno mentioned. “Z. rinpoche is a spectacular find because it has limbs and a complete skull, allowing us to couple growth stage and dome development for the first time.”
Z. rinpoche‘s dome was totally developed, however development rings in its decrease leg bone recommend that the animal was a juvenile and was nonetheless rising when it died. Because pachycephalosaurs in all probability used their domes to draw mates, this implies that the dinosaur reached sexual maturity earlier than it was totally grown.
“If you need to headbutt yourself into a relationship, it’s a good idea to start rehearsing early,” Zanno mentioned.
“This specimen is a once-in-a-lifetime discovery,” Zanno added. “Z. rinpoche gives us an unprecedented glimpse into the anatomy and biology of pachycephalosaurs.”