Aug. 17, 2009 -- One of the last non-avian dinosaurs on Earth was a muscular, swimming duck-billed species that paleontologists recently discovered in Spain, according to a new study that has been accepted for publication in the journal Comptes Rendus Palevol. Co-author Jose Ignacio Canudo told Discovery News that the hadrosaur, Arenysaurus ardevoli, meaning "sand dinosaur," lived just "a few thousand years before the K/T boundary." This was the event 65.5 million years ago that wiped out all of the world's dinosaurs, save for a group of carnivorous dinosaurs that evolved into birds. "Arenysaurus was certainly one of the dinosaurs that might have seen the fall of the K/T asteroid and suffered the consequences," said Canudo, a University of Zaragoza paleontologist. Related Content:
He and his colleagues found the remains of the new hadrosaur in the tiny South-central Pyrenees village of Aren in Huesca, Spain. The site consists of hard sandstone, which required hours of expensive, complex stone-cutting work to excavate. A process called magnetostratigraphy, which looks at changes in polarity of geomagnetic fields preserved in sediment sequences, was used to date the dinosaur's remains, which include the best-preserved skull for a western European hadrosaur. According to the researchers, the plant-eating dinosaur's most noteworthy characteristics were its very powerful limb muscles, situated right around where modern birds possess their flight muscles. "Arenysaurus was a terrestrial animal, so this abnormal development was not required for flying," Canudo said, pointing out that a biomechanical study is currently underway to precisely determine how the dinosaur used these muscles. Several possibilities are under consideration, "one being that it represented an advantage for moving in marshland where such powerful anterior limbs would help it through the mud." Another possibility is that the dinosaur's powerful limbs improved its ability to swim. "Arenysaurus was not a marine animal, but it lived on the coast in an area where there were islands," he explained. "The ability to swim strongly would have been an advantage for moving between the islands." Get More NewsSpiders, Scorpions Among World's Oldest CreaturesMany creepy crawlies have been on Earth much longer than previously believed.Blood-Sucking Vampire Bats Sing DuetsWhite-winged vampire bats "harmonize" with separated roost mates.Oldest Hebrew Writing Possibly FoundAncient inscriptions on a 3,000-year-old pottery shard could make history.Rare, Prehistoric-Age Reptile Found in N.Z.A tuatara has been spotted on the New Zealand mainland for the first time in 200 years.Iceman Has No Living RelativesOetzi, the 5,300 year-old frozen mummy, left no living genetic legacy.SLIDE SHOW: Landscapes of TerrorWhat makes a place feel scary? There are scientific explanations.It's Official: People Are Warming the PolesHumans are conclusively to blame for polar warming, say scientists.Eight-Armed Animal Preceded DinosaursWhat may be one of Earth's first animals was no bigger than a coaster and had eight arms.Phoenicians Live on in People's GenesOne in 17 Mediterranean men may be descended from ancient Phoenicians.Pesticides, Fertilizers Linked to Frog DeclineA pesticide is found to promote parasites among amphibians.Hubble Telescope Taking Photos AgainThe Hubble Space Telescope is once again snapping stunning photos of the universe.Andean Mummy Hairs Show Hallucinogen UseScientists find direct evidence of hallucinogenic drug use among ancient Andeans.Opals on Mars Reveal Planet's Long Wet PastOpals found on Mars suggest the planet has been wet for much longer. |
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