Newly Discoveredโฃ Dinosaur โin Argentina Challenges Understanding โof Abelisaurids
Buenos โAires, Argentina – A newly โdiscovered dinosaur species in Argentina, Guemesia ochoai, is rewriting paleontologists’ understanding of abelisaurids – a group of carnivorous dinosaurs thatโ dominated South America during the Late Cretaceous period. The fossil, unearthed โคin patagonia, presents a unique combination ofโ features, including a surprising lack of prominent horns or skull bulges โคtypically โassociated with its relatives, and a significantlyโฃ smallerโ brain cavity.
Unlike most abelisaurids, known for their robust skulls โand often ornamented heads, Guemesia โochoai exhibits a smoother โฃskull and a brain sizeโ approximately 70% smaller โthanโฃ other species in the clade. researchers suggestโฃ this could indicate โคthe fossil represents a juvenile โor a species with distinct evolutionary adaptations. A โsmallโข hole, or foramen, in the โskull may have played a role in thermoregulation.The finding is notably notable as abelisaurid fossils are scarce in the region,offering a โฃcrucial piece in the puzzle of Argentina’s ancient ecosystem.
“this new dinosaur โis quite unique for itsโ type. It has several key โcharacteristics that show that it is indeed a new species,” stated Professor Anjali Goswami, a โคresearchโค leader at the Natural History Museum of London. “This shows that dinosaurs living in this regionโฃ are very different from dinosaurs in other regions in Argentina. โThisโ discovery supports the ideas of different provinces in the limestone in South America. This โฃalso shows that โthere are manyโ more that can be found in areas that are less attention. Compare some more famous fossil sites.”
Theโ finding supports the theoryโ of regional dinosaurโ diversityโฃ during the Late โฃCretaceous, suggesting distinct “provinces” existed within South America,โ each with โits own unique fauna. The discovery highlights the potential forโค further paleontological breakthroughs in less-explored โareas of Argentina.