Paleontologists discover small armoured dinosaur in Argentina

Palaeontologists have discovered a small armour-plateddinosaurin Argentina belonging to the Cretaceous period.

The announcement was made in the journal Scientific Reportsas researchers found Jakapil kaniukura which is a small thyreophoran dinosaur estimated to beless than 1.5 meters in length andweighing 4.5–7 kg.

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"The discovery of Jakapil in Argentina shows a completely new thyreophoran lineage for the southern hemisphere," it said. The fossilised animal was dug up in Argentina's Río Negro province near a dam.

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The Jakapil kaniukura is the first definitive thyreophoran species from Argentinian Patagonia. The researchers said the dinosaurs were distributed in a much broader geographic distribution than previously thought. The study said the extensive distribution of armoured basal thyreophorans across the northern landmasses during the early Jurassic shows rapid diversification.

The dinosaur is believed to have walked upright on its back nearly 100 million years ago. The researchers said it is part of the thyreophoran dinosaur group that includes Stegosaurus which wereknown to havebony back plates and spiky tail.

The researchers pointed out that the discovery of Jakapil supports the presence of a new Gondwanan lineage of early thyreophoran dinosaurs while highlighting the importance of the Gondwanan fossil in the study of the origin of dinosaurs.

(With inputs from Agencies)

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