New species of tyrannosaurid dinosaur identified in China

A team of paleontologists from the Zhejiang Natural History Museum in China has reported the discovery of a new species of tyrannosaurid dinosaur. Published In the journal Scientific Reports.

Tyrannosaurus is a group of dinosaurs belonging to the Tyrannosauridae family. Research to date has revealed that there were at least 30 species in this subfamily, all of which were known for their large bodies and large, deep snouts packed with sharp teeth. All of them walked on two legs, Apex PredatorIt is thought to have first appeared approximately 165 million years ago.

In this new study, the research team fossil A body, including a skull and part of a vertebrae, was discovered at a construction site in Ganzhou in 2017. Hind legs The researchers note that tyrannosauroids are the best-studied of all dinosaurs.

The research team identified the specimen as a small tyrannosaur, roughly half the size of Qianzhousaurus. skull It is 47.5cm long and estimated to be around 3.5-4 metres long. This discovery was previously unknown. seedThe researchers named the creature Asiatyrannus xui, after the famous Chinese scientist Xu Xing.

The fossil dates back to the Late Cretaceous Period, about 66 to 72 million years ago. Its snout and body were different in size from larger tyrannosaurids. The researchers suggest that these differences indicate that A. xui occupied a different ecological niche from its larger brethren, perhaps feeding on smaller, faster prey. They also note that this is the first time a tyrannosaur with a deep snout has been found in southern China.

The discovery site lends credence to the idea that tyrannosaurs migrated out of Laramidia later than previously thought, an island that previous studies had suggested was the place where tyrannosaurs originated and was thought to have been on the west coast of what is now North America.

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