An international team of paleontologists has discovered a new species of dinosaur, the fossils of which were found near the city of Tambasasayama in Hyogo Prefecture, Japan. The find was given the scientific name Sasayamagnomus saegusai. The research was published in the scientific journal magazine Papers in Paleontology (PIP).
Analysis of the fossils showed that the previously unknown ancient lizard belonged to the ceratopsians, herbivorous dinosaurs known for their large horns and bony frills on their heads. The most famous of all ceratopsians is the Triceratops, which lived during the Cretaceous period, about 68 million years ago.
According to archaeologists, Sasayamagnomus saegusai was a primitive ceratopsian and was small in size. Its body length was only 80 centimeters, and its weight reached 10 kilograms. For comparison, an adult Triceratops weighed 12 tons and was up to nine meters long.
Scientists noted that the Japanese ceratopsus is much older than its giant counterparts. According to experts, the find points to the possible migration of this group from Asia to North America during the Middle Cretaceous period, about 110 million years ago.
At that time, the eastern part of Eurasia and North America were connected by the Bering land bridge, which allowed animals to travel between the continents. Additionally, extreme global warming caused extensive forests to appear in the Arctic, which facilitated the intercontinental dispersal of ceratopsians.
Earlier scientists to create A new species of long-necked dinosaur has been discovered in southern Spain.
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Source: Gazeta
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