Nature & Environment
New, Duck-like Dinosaur Had a Crest that Evolutionarily Links Two Species
Catherine Griffin
First Posted: Nov 12, 2015 10:32 AM EST
Paleontologists have uncovered a new species of duck-billed dinosaur with a surprising crest. The dinosaur, called Probrachylophosaurus bergei, may represent the transition between a non-crested ancestor and the larger crests of adult Brachylophosaurus.
Brachylophosaurini is a clade of hadrosaurine dinosaurs known from the Late Cretaceous of North America. Its members include Acristavus gagslarsoni, which lacked a nasal crest, and Brachylophosaurus Canadensis, which possessed a flat, paddle-shaped nasal crest projecting back over the top of its skull.
The newly discovered dinosaur has a head shape that includes a bony, triangular nasal crest. This crest actually falls between what is seen in the other two dinosaurs in its clade. In fact, this new dinosaur could represent a transitional nasal shape between the two.
In addition, the dinosaur was discovered in an area that makes it a prime representative for transitional dinosaur species.
"This part of the Judith River Formation represents a slice of time intermediate between areas where lots of dinosaur fossils have been collected in the past," said Elizabeth Freedman Fowler, one of the researchers, in a news release. "The new species that we find here are 'missing links' between known dinosaur species, so it's a really exciting field area."
The findings reveal a bit more about this clade of dinosaurs. More specifically, it shows how these animals may have evolved during this time period.
The findings are published in the journal PLOS One.
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First Posted: Nov 12, 2015 10:32 AM EST
Paleontologists have uncovered a new species of duck-billed dinosaur with a surprising crest. The dinosaur, called Probrachylophosaurus bergei, may represent the transition between a non-crested ancestor and the larger crests of adult Brachylophosaurus.
Brachylophosaurini is a clade of hadrosaurine dinosaurs known from the Late Cretaceous of North America. Its members include Acristavus gagslarsoni, which lacked a nasal crest, and Brachylophosaurus Canadensis, which possessed a flat, paddle-shaped nasal crest projecting back over the top of its skull.
The newly discovered dinosaur has a head shape that includes a bony, triangular nasal crest. This crest actually falls between what is seen in the other two dinosaurs in its clade. In fact, this new dinosaur could represent a transitional nasal shape between the two.
In addition, the dinosaur was discovered in an area that makes it a prime representative for transitional dinosaur species.
"This part of the Judith River Formation represents a slice of time intermediate between areas where lots of dinosaur fossils have been collected in the past," said Elizabeth Freedman Fowler, one of the researchers, in a news release. "The new species that we find here are 'missing links' between known dinosaur species, so it's a really exciting field area."
The findings reveal a bit more about this clade of dinosaurs. More specifically, it shows how these animals may have evolved during this time period.
The findings are published in the journal PLOS One.
Related Stories
Giant Dakotaraptor Dinosaur with Wing Feathers Discovered in South Dakota
T. rex Opened Its Massive Jaw Very Wide to Munch on Dinosaurs
For more great science stories and general news, please visit our sister site, Headlines and Global News (HNGN).
See Now: NASA's Juno Spacecraft's Rendezvous With Jupiter's Mammoth Cyclone