In Argentina, discover a new species of dinosaur with a huge head and small hands. [FOTOS Y VIDEO]

On Thursday, a group of paleontologists announced the discovery of a new species of giant carnivorous dinosaur with a huge head and tiny arms like tyrannosaurus rexand who lived in Argentine Patagonia.

The discovery, published in the journal Current Biology, suggests that these predators’ small forelimbs were not an evolutionary fluke, but rather gave them certain survival advantages.

Meraxes Gigas, Named after a fictional dragon from the TV series Game of Thrones, it was discovered during four years of excavation and field work in northern Argentine Patagonia. The skull was first discovered in 2012.

“We won the lottery and found her the very first morning,” the lead author of the investigation told AFP. Peter Makowitzkyfrom the University of Minnesota.

Opening

The fossil remains are well preserved. The skull is slightly larger 127 centimeters, while a complete animal would have been almost 11 meters (36 feet) long and weighed four metric tons. His arms measured 0.60 meters (two feet).

Meraxes Gigas It belongs to “the group we already know, the carcharodontosaurids. These are the largest predators that have ever existed. But so far, we haven’t had a complete skull,” the Argentine paleontologist told AFP. Sebastian Apestegiawhich this Thursday unveiled a replica of the dinosaur in Buenos Aires.

The importance of this finding lies in the fact that “we can finally close the true dimensions of the skull, arms, legs. It is extremely important to understand the evolution of this line,” Apestegia added.

M. Gigas died out 20 million years before its occurrence. t.rexand the two species were far apart on the evolutionary tree.

What do the discoverers say?

Instead, the authors believe that the fact that tyrannosaurids, carcharodontosaurids, and a third giant predator species called abelisaurids evolved tiny hands is because they gained certain advantages.

One side, Makovitsky He believes that their heads became the dominant tool in their predatory arsenal as they grew, taking over the functions that the forelimbs were supposed to perform in smaller species.

John Caneilproject leader in Paleontological Museum Ernesto Bachmann of NeuquenArgentina and the co-author of the study went further, suggesting other benefits.

mating weapon

“I am convinced that these proportionately small hands had some function. The skeleton shows large muscular attachments and fully developed pectoral girdles, so the arm had strong muscles,” he said in a statement.

“They may have used their hands for reproductive behavior, to hold the female during mating, or to hold on to her legs after resting or falling.”

The Meraxes existed 90 to 100 million years ago, during the Cretaceous period, in a region that was wetter, more wooded, and much closer to the sea, according to Makowicki.

The found specimen lived near 40 yearsmature age for dinosaurs, and its skull was littered with ridges, grooves, bulges, and small horns.

“It would definitely look very imposing and look like a gargoyle,” he said. Makovitsky.

(According to AFP)