What is possibly the rarest dinosaur found to date is found

By 16/12/2020 portal-3

Se encuentra el que posiblemente sea el dinosaurio más raro hallado hasta la fecha

Although it has a skeleton similar to many small dinosaurs from the previous Jurassic Period, on the outside we are looking at an unusual dinosaur. The call Ubirajara jubatus had a mane of hair-like structures and at the same time it presented two completely unique features.

About 110 million years ago, along the banks of an ancient lagoon in what is now northeastern Brazil, it walked on two legs and was the size of a chicken. AND has just been described in the magazine Cretaceous Research.

Two unique features

On the one hand, Ubirajara jubatus it must have displayed a dense crest of primitive feather-like structures, more like down than anything else. On the other hand, two very long “spikes” emerged from each of his shoulders. Both the crest and spines appear to have been made of keratin, the same protein that gives resistance to our nails or our hair.

Ubirajara Jubatus Novataxa 2020 Smyth Martill Frey Rivera Sylva Et Lenz

Ubirajara's ribbon-like structures may have been used for display, possibly to attract companions or intimidate adversaries. They appear to be relatively flattened, like rigid ribbons, and in the middle of one of their faces, they have a longitudinal edge.

The hair-like structures of the Ubirajara appear to be a rudimentary form of feathers called protofeathers. Many dinosaurs had feathers. In fact, Birds evolved from small feathered dinosaurs about 150 million years ago.

Ubirajara Jubatus Novataxa 2020 Smyth Martill Frey Rivera Sylva Et Lenz

Ubirajara jubatus It fed by hunting insects and perhaps small vertebrates such as frogs and lizards.

While it is impossible to tell from the fossil, which arrived at a museum in the state of Ceará in the early 1990s, it is suspected that the Ubirajara may have displayed vivid colors.


The news

What is possibly the rarest dinosaur found to date is found

was originally published in

Xataka Science

by
Sergio Parra

.