new land and sea velociraptor
Last Updated : GMT 06:49:16
Arab Today, arab today
Arab Today, arab today
Last Updated : GMT 06:49:16
Arab Today, arab today

like dinosaur discovered

New 'land and sea' velociraptor

Arab Today, arab today

Arab Today, arab today New 'land and sea' velociraptor

The fossil of the dinosaur Halszkaraptor escuilliei during the tomographic imaging process.
Paris - Arab Today

A new species of semi-aquatic dinosaurs that could kill prey on land and in water has been discovered by scientists, researchers said Wednesday.

The swan-necked and flipper-forelimbed creature was related to velociraptors -- made famous by the "Jurassic Park" films -- and lived about 75 million years ago, in what is now Mongolia.

"You have to imagine a mix between a velociraptor, an ostrich and a swan, with a nose of a crocodile and the wings of a penguin," said Paul Tafforeau, a paleontologist at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF) in Grenoble, France, and co-author of the study.

"It's a little extraterrestrial," he said.

Scientists made the discovery after studying a fossil, nicknamed "Halszka" for Halszkaraptor escuilliei, which was found at Ukhaa Tolgod in southern Mongolia, a well-known spot for dinosaur enthusiasts searching for the skeletal remains of the long-lost creatures.

The well-preserved fossil had an unexpected mix of features which indicate that some bird-like dinosaurs walked on land and adapted to a semi-aquatic lifestyle, the scientists said in a study published in Nature, noting this was the first such discovery.

"Halszka was able to run and hunt on land and capable of swimming and fishing in the water," Tafforeau said.

-- 'Unexpected mix' --

Parts of the skeleton were shared with carnivorous dinosaurs such as velociraptors; it had "killer claws" on its feet; stood about 1.2 metres (3.9 feet) high; had flipper-style forelimbs to manoeuvre in water like penguins; and a long neck for hunting, similar to a swan.

"The first time I examined the specimen, I even questioned whether it was a genuine fossil," said Andrea Cau, from the Capellini Geological Museum in Bologna, Italy.

"This unexpected mix of traits makes it difficult to place Halszka within traditional classifications."

Adding to the scientists' scepticism over whether they had discovered a new species was the convoluted journey the fossil had made after being discovered.

"(It was) illegally exported from Mongolia. Halszka resided in private collections around the world before it was acquired in 2015 and offered to palaeontologists for study and to prepare its return to Mongolia," said Pascal Godefroit, from the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences in Brussels.

"Illicit fossil trade presents a great challenge to modern palaeontology," he added.

Detailed analysis of the fossil was made possible by technological developments at the ESRF. Scientists used a form of X-ray microtomography to reveal a virtual 3D model of parts of the skeleton still partially buried in the rock.

The discovery will now be part of a new dinosaur subfamily, the Halszkaraptorinae.

"We knew of dinosaurs which eat fish, notably the Spinosaurus (which killed the Tyrannosaurus in "Jurassic Park 3"), but we did not think they could swim!" Tafforeau said.

Source: AFP

arabstoday
arabstoday

GMT 01:54 2018 Thursday ,18 January

Macron's tapestry gesture risks rousing

GMT 02:25 2018 Wednesday ,10 January

Show rescues photo comics

GMT 06:47 2017 Friday ,29 December

Soumillon sets new European mark

GMT 13:43 2017 Sunday ,03 December

Obama takes on Trump and men in general

GMT 11:03 2017 Friday ,24 November

World's only particle accelerator
Arab Today, arab today

Name *

E-mail *

Comment Title*

Comment *

: Characters Left

Mandatory *

Terms of use

Publishing Terms: Not to offend the author, or to persons or sanctities or attacking religions or divine self. And stay away from sectarian and racial incitement and insults.

I agree with the Terms of Use

Security Code*

new land and sea velociraptor new land and sea velociraptor

 



Name *

E-mail *

Comment Title*

Comment *

: Characters Left

Mandatory *

Terms of use

Publishing Terms: Not to offend the author, or to persons or sanctities or attacking religions or divine self. And stay away from sectarian and racial incitement and insults.

I agree with the Terms of Use

Security Code*

new land and sea velociraptor new land and sea velociraptor

 



GMT 09:16 2017 Wednesday ,13 December

Cape wearing tips

GMT 20:49 2017 Monday ,21 August

South Asia floods claim more than 750 lives

GMT 19:06 2016 Saturday ,10 December

IOF Close Al-Nabi Saleh Village's Entrance

GMT 18:01 2017 Wednesday ,22 February

Abu Sayyaf ‘likely’ behind Vietnam freighter attack

GMT 06:41 2017 Sunday ,03 December

Hamas threatens 'intifada' over US moves on Jerusalem

GMT 16:17 2017 Saturday ,21 January

BMW 7 series crosses 5,000 unit mark in 2016

GMT 12:17 2016 Wednesday ,24 February

United Technologies nixes Honeywell merger

GMT 23:37 2017 Monday ,31 July

Saudi Arabia sanctions Hezbollah member

GMT 05:45 2018 Saturday ,29 September

Abdullah bin Zayed hosts official reception in New York

GMT 04:12 2018 Friday ,12 January

Saudi-led coalition says Yemen rebels threat

GMT 11:18 2014 Monday ,22 December

Richard Ward adds to The Chelsea Collection

GMT 21:20 2017 Monday ,06 February

UN resumes food air drops in Deir Ezzor

GMT 22:24 2017 Friday ,15 December

HRH Premier thanked by Cambodian counterpart

GMT 02:11 2017 Monday ,23 October

Oct24/Nov22

GMT 21:31 2017 Monday ,11 December

HM King congratulates Burkinabe President

GMT 20:22 2017 Monday ,23 October

EU deplores attack against police
Arab Today, arab today
 
 Arab Today Facebook,arab today facebook  Arab Today Twitter,arab today twitter Arab Today Rss,arab today rss  Arab Today Youtube,arab today youtube  Arab Today Youtube,arab today youtube

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©

arabstoday arabstoday arabstoday arabstoday
arabstoday arabstoday arabstoday
arabstoday
بناية النخيل - رأس النبع _ خلف السفارة الفرنسية _بيروت - لبنان
arabstoday, Arabstoday, Arabstoday