|
This article requires pre-publication review by an uninvolved reviewer (one not substantially involved in writing the article). Note, only qualified reviewers may do this and publish articles. This right requires experience with Wikinews policies and procedures. To request the right, apply here.Reviewers, please use Easy Peer Review per these instructions.
-Article last amended: Jan 26 at 22:08:35 UTC (history) |
| This article requires pre-publication review by an uninvolved reviewer (one not substantially involved in writing the article).
Note, only qualified reviewers may do this and publish articles. This right requires experience with Wikinews policies and procedures. To request the right, apply here.Reviewers, please use Easy Peer Review per these instructions.
-Article last amended: Jan 26 at 22:08:35 UTC (history) |
Saturday, January 25, 2020
Scientists from the University of Utah in the western United States report the discovery of a previously unknown species of allosaurus, a type of dinosaur that lived during the Jurassic Period. The findings were unveiled in the form of an exhibit at the Natural History Museum of Utah and in a paper published Friday in PeerJ. This discovery did not come from digging up new fossils but by reexamining those already above ground: A specimen previously thought to be a common allosaurus was found to be a different species instead.
They have named the species Allosaurus jimmadseni after paleontologist James H. Madsen Jr. Scientists believe it is about five million years older than the better-known allosaurus, Allosaurus fragilis. It had a narrower skull and low crests on its face, but both animals ran on two legs and served as the apex predators of their ecosystem.
“Previously, paleontologists thought there was only one species of Allosaurus in Jurassic North America, but this study shows there were two species–the newly described Allosaurus jimmadseni evolved at least 5 million years earlier than its younger cousin, Allosaurus fragilis,” co-lead author Mark Loewen told the public. “The skull of Allosaurus jimmadseni is more lightly built than its later relative Allosaurus fragilis, suggesting a different feeding behavior between the two.”
“This exciting new study illustrates the importance of continued paleontological investigations on public lands in the West. Discovery of this new taxon of dinosaur will provide important information about the life and times of Jurassic dinosaurs and represents another unique component of America’s Heritage,” said paleontologist Brent Breithaupt.
Most of the animal’s skeleton was originally found in 1990 by University of Nebraska at Omaha paleontologist George Engelmannat Dinosaur National Monument in 1990, though its skull was not found until 1996, by Ramal Jones of the University of Utah. He used a radiation Teams from Dinosaur National Monument performed both actual excavations. Initially believed to be Allosaurus fragilis, scientists later figured out it was a separate species.
This allosaurus would have lived at the same time as diplodocus and stegosaurus. It would have been 8-9 meters long (26-29 feet) from head to tail and it would have weighted about 1.8 metric tons (4000 lbs).