Discovered new carnivorous dinosaurs

A 90 million-year-old fossil in Río Negro province, Argentina revealed a species of carnivorous bird-like dinosaur is only about 1.5 meters long.

Figure simulating Overoraptor chimentoi species living in the Cretaceous. (Photo: National Geographic).

Scientists named the creature Overoraptor chimentoi in honor of Dr. Nicolás Chimento, who found the first fossil fragments in 2013. At that time, Chimento and his colleagues unearthed several of them. claws and wing bones, but not enough information to determine whether they belong to a new species.

In the latest expedition led by paleontologist Matias Motta from the Argentine Museum of Natural Science, the team discovered more organs such as the vertebrae, clavicle, pelvis, wing bone and limb bone. . New pieces reveal unique anatomical features, showing that this predatory dinosaur has never been described.

Paleontologist Matias Motta unearths O. chimentoi fossils in Río Negro. (Photo: Federico Egli).

According to Motta, O. chimentoi is only about 1.5 m long. Like other bird-like dinosaurs, it moves very quickly thanks to its slender body and long legs. The previous two limbs have evolved into wings. They have large, curved and sharp claws, used for hunting purposes.

Overoraptor species are thought to be closely related to the Rahonavis dinosaur that lived in Madagascar at the end of the Cretaceous. New findings about bird-like dinosaurs could hold the key to deciphering the evolution of modern birds. The details of the study were published in the June 4 issue of Science of Nature .