During the late Mesozoic era, highly evolved duck-billed dinosaurs, known as hadrosaurids, were incredibly successful and may have outperformed other plant-eating dinosaurs, leading to a decline in overall dinosaur diversity. These hadrosaurids originated in the northern supercontinent of Laurasia and eventually spread to various regions, including Africa, South America, and even Antarctica.
The new study, titled "Relict Duck-Billed Dinosaurs Survived Into the Last Age of the Dinosaurs in Subantarctic Chile" published in Science, introduces the first evidence of a duck-billed dinosaur species, named Gonkoken nanoi, discovered in the subantarctic region of Magallanes, Chile, dating back to the early Maastrichtian period.
Duck-Billed Dinosaur Fossil Found in Chile
Scientists announced the discovery of a previously unknown herbivorous dinosaur species in Chile, challenging existing beliefs about the distribution of duck-billed dinosaurs in the Southern Hemisphere.
The newly found species, named Gonkoken nanoi, lived approximately 72 million years ago in the southern region of present-day Chilean Patagonia, Science Alert reported. Measuring around 4 meters in length and weighing a ton, these dinosaurs had a slender built and could adapt to both bipedal and quadrupedal postures to reach vegetation at various heights.
The study revealed that Chilean Patagonia served as a sanctuary for ancient hadrosaurs, a type of duck-billed dinosaur commonly found in North America, Asia, and Europe during the Cretaceous period. The presence of these dinosaurs in the remote southern lands surprised scientists, who now aim to understand the migration and ancestry of these species.
The recently discovered dinosaur species, G. nanoi, was actually unearthed in 2013, initiating a ten-year-long investigation. Its name, derived from the Tehuelche language spoken by the region's indigenous inhabitants, translates to "similar to a wild duck or a swan."
The finding adds to the growing list of dinosaur species discovered in Chile and contributes to the understanding of the diverse prehistoric ecosystems that existed in the Southern Hemisphere.
Discovery Makes Scientists Rethink the Biogeographic History in the Americas
As per the Science News report, the discovery of the non-hadrosaurid duck-billed dinosaur, G. nanoi, in South America has surprised scientists and prompted a reassessment of the dinosaurs' biogeographic history in the Americas.
Rather than a single colonization event, it is now believed that duck-billed dinosaurs arrived in South America in two separate waves from North America. G. nanoi likely arrived earlier and reached further south than the hadrosaurids, which had already gone extinct in most other parts of the world by that time.
These findings challenge the previous assumption of hadrosaurid dinosaurs being widespread and suggest that fragmentary remains found in southern Patagonia and Antarctica, which were initially attributed to hadrosaurids, might actually belong to Gonkoken or closely related species.
The researchers also plan to investigate other areas along the Río de las Chinas, known for their abundant dinosaur fossils, to determine if they also contain remains of Gonkoken.
Further discoveries of skull bones from Gonkoken are particularly significant as they could provide insights into the dinosaur's relationship with other duck-billed dinosaurs. By studying more specimens, researchers hope to gain a clearer understanding of the evolutionary history and relationships of these fascinating herbivorous dinosaurs.
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