New, Duck-like Dinosaur Had a Crest that Evolutionarily Links Two Species

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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