A graduate student unearthed an unprecedented dinosaur, procuring fossils online for a class assignment. Dubbed the "pharaoh's dawn chicken from hell," it inhabited South Dakota's Hell Creek Formation during the late Cretaceous period.
The findings of the study, titled "A New Large-Bodied Oviraptorosaurian Theropod Dinosaur from the Latest Cretaceous of Western North America," were published in PLOS One on January 24.
Artist’s depiction of Eoneophron infernalis (top left), MOR 752 (bottom left), and Anzu wyliei (right) in the Hell Creek Formation. Illustration by Zubin Erik Dutta.
New Dinosaur Species Discovered
In 2020, Kyle Atkins-Weltman, an Oklahoma State University doctoral student, acquired four fossils for $5,000 to complete a research project. Initially believed to be from the cassowary-like dinosaur Anzu wyliei, known as the "chicken from hell," scans revealed they belonged to an unidentified species, prompting Atkins-Weltman to name it "Eoneophron infernalis."
The name "Eoneophron" combines the Greek word "eos," signifying "dawn," and "Neophron," the genus name for Egyptian vultures, also called "pharaoh's chicken." The reference to the pharaoh's chicken acknowledges A. wylieii's chicken nickname while honoring Atkins-Weltman's late pet Nile monitor lizard, "Pharaoh," an emotional support animal during his scientific endeavors.
The species name "infernalis" derives from the Latin word for "hell," nodding to the Hell Creek Formation and completing the A. wylieii "chicken from hell" reference. E. infernalis, a Caenagnathidae family member like A. wyliei, shares oviraptorosaur characteristics, with A. wyliei weighing around 440 to 660 pounds and E. infernalis approximately 170 pounds.
Apart from size differences, both hell chickens exhibit fused ankle bones (astragalus and calcaneus), but E. infernalis has additional fusion with the tibia. Speculating on enhanced stress handling during running, the study authors highlight this unique feature in the new species.
Donated to the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh, E. infernalis prompts concerns about fossil commercialization. While Atkins-Weltman openly acknowledges buying the fossils, he emphasizes the importance of accessibility for scientific use, stating that privately held bones are effectively useless to science if not accessible.
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Caenagnathids Challenge Extinction Narrative in Late Cretaceous
The analysis of these bones has allowed researchers to shed light on the diversity of dinosaurs at the end of the Cretaceous, a period marked by a catastrophic asteroid impact leading to the extinction of most dinosaur species.
While debates persist about the decline of various dinosaur groups, such as tyrannosaurs and lambeosaurines, in the final 2 million years of the Cretaceous, the simultaneous presence of E. infernalis, A. wyliei, and evidence pointing to a third yet-to-be-described species challenges the notion of a decline in caenagnathids.
The discovery prompted a reexamination of bones initially attributed to Anzu, revealing a more varied caenagnathid population in western North America during that era. This includes specimens of different sizes: Anzu, a large species comparable to a grizzly bear; Eoneophron, a medium-sized species with humanlike weight; and a smaller, unnamed species, similar in size to a German shepherd.
By comparing the Hell Creek Formation with older fossil formations like the Dinosaur Park Formation, consistent patterns emerge in caenagnathid species count and relative sizes. Caenagnathids, represented by species like Anzu, Eoneophron, and potentially a third species, demonstrated stability throughout the late Cretaceous, challenging previous notions of declining diversity in this dinosaur group during that era.
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