45 new Dinosaur species have been found, according to National Geographic
This year, Paleontologists discovered 42 new dinosaur species.
The reason for more discoveries is that more parts of the world can now be explored and that technology has advanced significantly.
Among the discoveries made this year are hundreds of dinosaur footprints so well-preserved that even the scaly skin can be seen.https://t.co/NCafUEdUl3
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Although this may seem like a lot, it is actually below average compared to the last two decades.
According to National Geographic, dinosaur researchers have discovered 45 new species every year since 2003. The publication called the pace “staggering“.
The dinosaur footprints found this year are so well preserved that even the scaly skin can be seen.
Described as a treasure trove by the Polish Geological Institute-National Research Institute, the fossilised tracks and bones were found in an opencast clay pit in Poland around 200 million years ago.
“More parts of the world are being explored,” Tom Holtz, who maintains a database of dinosaur discoveries, told National Geographic.
Several species of dinosaurs have been discovered recently in China and Argentina. Australia recently discovered the world’s largest dinosaur, a two-story, plant-eating sauropod the size of a basketball court that lived 98 million years ago.
Furthermore, technological advances have allowed palaeontologists to not only discover new species of dinosaurs but also measure their skin, cellular structure, social behaviour, etc.
National Geographic also listed some of the major discoveries made by palaeontologists this year:
Spicomellus Afer: This was discovered in Morocco and had a single rib fragment with four spikes, measuring about 10.5 inches long. Researchers strongly suspect that the fossil belonged to a type of armoured dinosaur called an ankylosaur based on its shape and size.
Australotitan Cooperensis: Australia’s largest dinosaur species is this one. Titanosaurians are a subgroup of the long-necked sauropods, the largest animals that ever walked on land. Scientists estimate that the full animal weighed anywhere from 26 to 82 tons.
Tlatolophus Galorum: Southern Mexico is the habitat of this species. The full discovery was reported in Cretaceous Research in May. It is a type of herbivorous dinosaur called a lambeosaur. The dinosaur gets its name from its dramatic crest, which resembles a comma in Aztec art.