A new species of dinosaur has been discovered in Asia, specifically in China. This dinosaur has a unique appearance with sharp thorns that seem ready to wield an opponent who wants to knock him down.
The species, which is thought to have existed 192-174 million years ago, is called Yuxisaurus Kopcchicki. Research on dinosaurs has also been published in eLife by scientists from China, the United States and the Natural History Museum, London.
Y. Kopcicki was the first species of shielded dinosaur found in Asia, merging as a member of the thyreophorans. The Latin name 'Yuxisaurus' refers to Yuxi Prefecture in China, while 'Kopchicki' is taken from the molecular biologist Dr John J Kopchick in recognition of his contribution to the biological sciences.
New dinosaur just dropped (again)
Say hello to Yuxisaurus kopchicki, the earliest known armored dinosaur from Asia!
Listen to Prof Paul Barrett (@NHMdinolab) as he explains a little more about Yuxisaurus and what it means to our understanding of how these animals evolved pic.twitter.com/nN92Kf1G58
— Natural History Museum (@NHM_London) March 15, 2022
According to Dr Shundong Bi, a professor at Indiana University of Pennsylvania and senior author on the paper, it was most likely that the dinosaur was four-legged and walked on four legs. But it's also possible that Y. Kopcicki could walk on only two legs.
Insights into the dinosaur's anatomy and behavior were gleaned from an incomplete skeleton consisting of remains of a skull, jaw, shoulders, limbs, and vertebrae.
The new species is different from the other armored dinosaurs as it is stockier & has a distinctive arrangement of armor. This suggests that these dinosaurs were experimenting with their body and ecology earlier than scientists thought.
Find out more https://t.co/4WRn1OOjxA
— Natural History Museum (@NHM_London) March 15, 2022
The discovery follows in the footsteps of Bashanosaurus primitivus, a new species of stegosaurus that was introduced to the world earlier this month. Equally Asian in origin, these diminutive dinosaurs traveled about 160 million years ago and may represent the oldest known stegosaurus.