Australia has new species of dinosaur. It is an armored dinosaur with a peak and inner ear.
Back in 1989, there was an impressively preserved fossil of the primitive species found in Queensland. It has a parrot-like beak and an inner ear like that of a turtle. For 20 years, it has been mistaken as a Kunbarrasaurus ieversi, but has now been identified as an entirely different species. The Kunbarrasaurus is a primitive type of a four-legged armored dinosaur. It also has a club-like tail, making the dinosaur a variety of ankylosaur.
"The shape and the textures on the dermal armour are different, the hand from Minmi is different to Kunbarrasaurus and the vertebrae is different," the study's lead researcher Laura Leahy said. "Most of the bits are different. There are a couple of things that are similar, but the majority are different."
The remains that were found in Queensland are considered one of the most complete of ankylosaurs ever dug out of the ground. This is also Australia's most "whole" dinosaur skeleton. The skin texture and even the stomach contents are still well-preserved. The skeletal makeup is also at 95 percent.
Dr. Steven Salisbury, University of Queensland School of Biological Sciences senior lecturer, commented that the one of the most unusual things about the unearthed skeleton was "osseous labyrinth" of the inner ear. Aside from that, a different nasal passage structure and less armor sets this skeleton apart from the Kunbarrasaurus.
"I suspect this is the tip of the iceberg in regard to the hidden diversity that we've got for these sorts of animals in the Australian dinosaur fauna," Salisbury added. "It's not all sauropods and megaraptoran carnivores - the ankylosaurs were an important part of our Cretaceous dinosaur fauna too. The ankylosaur fossils we have are not all Minmi, and the probably represent a Gondwanan radiation of early species, independent of the Northern Hemisphere."Gondwanan radiation of early species, independent of the Northern Hemisphere."
