Found, Dinosaurs Fanged
Author : Administrator | Thursday, October 04, 2012 11:00 WIB
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Pegomastax africanus (LiveScience| CREDIT: Photo and sculpting by Tyler Keillor.)
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Found in southern Africa, but its existence recently attracted widespread attention at this time, because it allegedly could explain the evolution of the large dinosaurs, including the famous giants like Stegosaurus and Triceratops.
Dinosaurs "vampires" that lived 200 million years ago has a unique body structure. "He's got two legs and two hands could hold," said researcher Paul Sereno, a paleontologist at the University of Chicago.
Despite looking terrible, dinosaur named Pegomastax africanus, or "thick jaws of Africa" smallish, less than 0.6 meters tall, weighs lighter than a pet cat, a maximum of 6.8 pounds.
Leather spiked allegedly spreading in most body Pegomastax, previously found in distant cousin, named Tianyulong ancient creatures recently discovered in China. Buried in lake sediments covered volcanic ash, carcass stored Tianyulong durable complete with prickly skin that spread from the neck to the tip of its tail.
"Pegomastax like bipedal hedgehog, closed thorns weird and funky," said Sereno. The difference with hedgehogs, feathers Pegomastax not strong and sharp that can be used for self-defense. It may function only to distinguish with other species or make Pegomastax look bigger to predators.
In a parrot-like beak 5 centimeters in length, 0.8 meters long fangs protruding from the lower and upper jaw. "Make it like Dracula," said Sereno told LiveScience. "The name may be right, adjacent to the celebration of Halloween."
Pegomastax previously excavated from the area near the border of the red rocky Lesotho and South Africa by researchers at Harvard in the 1960's. Sereno access of this animal from the Harvard archives. "It was amazing," he said.
Although the hinted Pegomastax sharp fangs are predators, on the contrary, a parrot-like beak that free direct allegations ancient creatures that eat seeds and nuts, or picking fruit to eat. Moreover, when the jaw is closed, its fangs against each other, not to cling to one another. Less can be used to cut or gnaw like the Like carnivores.
"Canines may have nothing to do with the consumption of meat," said Sereno. "They might use it against the enemy and defend themselves, or to find food.
Meanwhile, a high gear behind the jaw, allegedly serves to cut the plant, together with the surface through one another when the jaw is closed, such as scissors. "Pegomastax and relatives is probably the most advanced plant-eating in his time," said Sereno.
Pegomastax including one of the two main divisions of dinosaurs, "bird-hipped" ornithischians. Meanwhile, oddly enough, the bird actually entered in the "lizard-hipped", a group of meat-eaters Tyrannosaurus and eating herbivores, Diplodocus.
The period when Pegomastax life or great continents ancient supercontinent, Pangaea began to split into new land in the north and south. Pegomastax suspected at the base of the family tree, ornithischians, and could explain the evolution of the main group. (Sj)
Sources: LiveScience
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