Rare! Researchers find 70-million-year old dinosaur species that slept like modern-day birds

A newly found species of dinosaur that existed some 70 million years ago has been discovered recently and it has some bizarre features. Paleontologists found the fossilised remains of the new species, Jaculinykus yaruui, in the secluded locality of Gobi Desert in south Mongolia. The research was published in the journal PLOS One.

An interesting aspect of the newly found dinosaur species was the way in which it was found. Researchers discovered it in an unusual resting position that draws similarity to the sleeping style of modern birds. In circles of paleontologists, this is a rare find for a dinosaur.

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A major discovery

As per the researchers, this is a major discovery, especially as it shed light on the evolution of avian behaviour and present a new perspective.

The most fascinating aspect of the discovery is that the specimen was found in a position that suggests it was sleeping when it died.

The J. yaruui specimen consists of a nearly complete and "exceptionally" well-preserved skeleton, which the authors of the study found to represent a lineage of small theropod dinosaurs known as the alvarezsaurids.

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These dinosaurs are known primarily from the Gobi Desert's Nemegt Basin, where J. yaruui was found. They have been discovered in several other locations as well, including the United States, Canada, Argentina, Uzbekistan, China and Mongolia.

Kohta Kubo, an author of the study with the Paleobiology Research Group at Hokkaido University, Japan, told Newsweek that these dinosaurs had many bird-like features with several “unique” characteristics.

Characteristics of newly-found dinosaur fossils

The fossils found belong to the Late Jurassic period (around 163-145 million years ago) and the Cretaceous period (around 145-66 million years ago).

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As per the study, Jaculinykus yaruui was a small dinosaur that measured around 3 feet in length and likely weighed less than 65 pounds. It had a lightweight, bird-like skull with large eye sockets, and extremely short forelimbs with two fingers and legs that were proportionally very long compared to the rest of the body, implying that it had advanced running abilities.

The first part of its scientific name, "Jaculinykus", consists of a reference to a small dragon or serpent from Greek mythology ("Jaculus") and the Latin word "onykus", which means claw. The second part of the name, "yaruui", is derived from the Mongolian word "yaruu" meaning speedy or hasty.

(With inputs from agencies)