After studying dinosaur fossils found in 2012, a research team in Argentina has now named a new terrifying dinosaur species. It is about a Tyrannosaurus Rex-like dinosaur that has now been named “Meraxes gigas”.
The name “Meraxes” is taken from a dragon in one of George RR Martin’s “A Song of Ice and Fire” books while “gigas” refers to the size of the dinosaur species. An adult Meraxes Gigas could grow up to 11 meters long and weigh over 4 tons. It is about the same size and weight that a Tyrannosaurus Rex could achieve. M. Gigas lived during the Krita period and is believed to have disappeared from the earth 90-95 million years ago.
Like the Tyrannosaurus Rex, Meraxes Gigas have very short front legs / arms. Researchers have so far not been able to determine why this is the case. One theory, however, is that these giant dinosaurs did not need their arms as they could instead use their jaws for most things. Palenteologist Steve Brusatte from the University of Edinburgh tells Gizmodo:
“Tiny arms were a normal thing for huge [carnivores]. It’s still not clear why, but I suspect it is because the heads of these monsters became so big and strong that they took care of almost everything when it came to eating: grabbing and killing and slicing and devouring the prey. “
gizmodo.com
Science, Nature,
Meraxes gigas, dinosaurs, short arms, Tyrannosaurus rex, ancient times, history, animal fever
Fossil from previously unknown Tyrannosaurus found in Canada
Say hello to Thanatotheristes degrootorum
In Canada, fossils from a previously unknown species of the dinosaur genus Tyrannosaurus have been found, which are said to have crashed around the earth some 80 million years ago. The newly discovered dinosaur species is called Thanatotheristes degrootorum, where “Thanatotheristes” means type “Reaper of Death”, which I assume is the easiest to translate to “liemannen” in Swedish. The dinosaur was named “degrootorum” after John and Sandra De Groot who found the fossil in Canada in 2010. Thanatotheristes degrootorum is said to be the oldest known tyrannosaurus species found so far in North America and could grow up to 8 meters long. Its more well-known relative Tyrannosaurus Rex (tyrant-lizard king) lived in North America between 65 – 70 million years ago and could grow up to 12 meters long.
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Formerly unknown dinosaur species found in Japan
Say hello to the dragon god Kamuysaurus japonicus
Paleontologists in Japan have found fossils from a previously unknown dinosaur species that lived about 72 million years ago. The large dinosaur species has been given the name Kamuysaurus japonicus, which means type “Japanese dragon god”. The skeleton they have now found should be run eight meters long and be the largest dinosaur skeleton ever found in Japan. The dinosaur species belongs to the genus hadrosaurids that lived during the Cretaceous period 100 – 66 million years ago. In the past, fossils from the same genus have been found in other parts of Asia, North and South America and Antarctica. It is believed that the dinosaur they now found was around nine years old when it died and it is estimated that the approximately eight meter long dinosaur may have weighed 5.3 tons, possibly less if it walked on two legs and not four, something so far does not seem to be completely clear.
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Previously unknown giant dinosaur species found in Australia
Say hello to Australotitan cooperensis
Researchers in Australia have found skeletons from a previously unknown dinosaur species which is the largest dinosaur species ever discovered on the continent. The new species has been named Australotitan cooperensis and is said to have lived during the Cretaceous period, between 92 – 96 million years ago, when Australia was still associated with Antarctica. The herbivorous Australotitan cooperensis had a height of between 5-6.5 meters and a length of between 25-30 meters. The researchers say that Australotitan cooperensis is among the 15 largest known dinosaur species found so far around the world. Exactly which species is the largest, scientists are not yet quite sure. You can check out some of the species that aspire to the title in the chart below.
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