A new type of dino with spike armor was discovered in England

Paleontology

A new species of dinosaur has been discovered in Britain for the first time in 140 years. She has armor and relatives in China. When they came up with a name, the researchers paid tribute to a luminary in the field — and mocked him at the same time.

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A spiny dinosaur once stalked the Mediterranean climate of what is now the Isle of Wight. For the first time in more than 140 years, a new species of armored dinosaur has been described alongside ankylosaurs from an island off the south coast of Great Britain. Vectipelda Barretti Originates from the Early Cretaceous and is distinguished from other ankylosaurs in the area by differences in vertebrae and more blade-shaped vertebrae, among other things, according to the research team. Reported in the “Journal of Systematic Paleontology.”.

Vectipelda So closely related to the Chinese ankylosaurs. According to a team led by Stuart Bond of the Natural History Museum in London, this indicates that dinosaurs were able to move freely from Asia to Europe during the Early Cretaceous period, about 140 million years ago. The researchers explain that relatively few dinosaur fossil remains are known from that time. So some experts believe that the animal mass extinction occurred in the late Jurassic period (about 150 million years ago).

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A new discovery may have implications for older discoveries

All ankylosaurid remains from the Isle of Wight belonged to Tynort, almost 142 years before the redefining. Polacanthus foxii It is said that the reason. The findings of the last few decades must now be re-examined.

Vectipelda Barretti Its species name is given to Professor Paul Barrett, who worked at the Natural History Museum for many years. Some of the study’s authors were mentored by him as young researchers, it said. He is also the world authority on dinosaurs – no dinosaur has ever been named after him.

“We wanted to thank him for his support and encouragement, so we decided to name the slow-moving, spiny creature after him.” Barrett said he was delighted and delighted by the recognition. Not least because his first work was about armored dinosaurs. “I firmly believe that any physical resemblance (to the species Vectipelda barretti just described) is purely coincidental.” (dpa/cze)

Updated on 04/08/2023 13:34

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