Bob Nicholls / Paleocreations.com
A newly recognized species of dinosaur had some uncommon options, together with an extended mane of fur down its again and stiff rod-like constructions projecting from its shoulders.
The dinosaur lived round 110 million years in the past, through the Cretaceous interval. Dino Frey on the State Museum of Pure Historical past in Karlsruhe, Germany, and his colleagues found the species whereas inspecting slabs of limestone from north-eastern Brazil.
They took excessive decision X-ray pictures of the slabs, which revealed the torso of an unknown species of dinosaur, measuring roughly 50 centimetres lengthy.
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Most peculiarly, the researchers recognized two rod-like constructions that caught out from every shoulder. These 15-centimetre projections had been created from keratin, the identical protein in our nails and hair. They had been in all probability used to draw potential mates and even intimidate competitors, says Frey.
These constructions haven’t been seen earlier than on dinosaurs. “Completely bizarre!” says Michael Benton at College of Bristol, UK, who wasn’t concerned within the research. “The fossil reveals wonderful preservation of constructions apart from the skeleton, together with decayed stays of the heart and physique organs, in addition to the feathers and lengthy rod-like constructions.”
The crew named the dinosaur Ubirajara jubatus, which means “lord of the spear”, after a reputation utilized by the Tupi individuals indigenous to Brazil. The researchers suspect that the specimen is a younger male, given the scale of the dinosaur’s backbone, however they’re unable to substantiate this because the fossil is partial.
The stays additionally confirmed a well-preserved, lengthy, thick mane of fur operating down the creature’s again. The spectacular mane measured 11 centimetres at its tallest level. “That is the longest mane ever reported in any dinosaur,” says Frey.
The researchers suppose the dinosaur may decrease its mane when not on show utilizing muscle groups on the root of the hairs. This is able to have allowed the dinosaur to streamline its physique for velocity, in addition to to launch or seize warmth.
Journal reference: Cretaceous Analysis, DOI: 10.1016/j.cretres.2020.104686
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