Smithsonian Paleobiologist: Discover new species of Dinosaur, New Mexico dig

Washington DC Examiner: Smithsonian Paleobiologist: Discover new species of Dinosaur, New Mexico dig
Smithsonian Institution team of scientists has discovered a new species revealed in a fossilized dinosaur skull and neck vertebrae, an evolutionary link between two groups of dinosaurs. The new species, Daemonosaurus chauliodus, was discovered at Ghost Ranch, New Mexico. The team’s findings are published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B, Wednesday, April 13.

“Various features of the skull and neck in Daemonosaurus indicate that it was intermediate between the earliest known predatory dinosaurs from South America and more advanced theropod dinosaurs,” said Hans Sues, curator of vertebrate paleontology at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History and lead author of the team’s findings.

“One such feature is the presence of cavities on some of the neck vertebrae related to the structure of the respiratory system.”This new discovery shows that there is still much to be learned about the early evolution of dinosaurs. “The continued exploration of even well-studied regions like the American Southwest will still yield remarkable new fossil finds,” Sues said.

These early predatory dinosaurs evolutionary position was controversial due to a gap in fossil records between present and later theropod (beast-footed) dinosaurs. The Smithsonian team’s discovery of Daemonosaurus chauliodus filled this gap.

Advertisement
Only the skull and neck of Daemonosaurus were found, the total length of the new species is unknown. The dinosaur’s skull is narrow and relatively deep, from the tip of its snout to the back of the skull and has proportionately large eye sockets.

The upper jaw has large, forward-slanted front teeth, and this feature helped to name the new species. The name Daemonosaurus (Greek for evil spirit) and “sauros” (meaning lizard or reptile), because it was found on the Ghost Ranch in a Southwestern state.

The species name chauliodus (Greek for “buck-toothed”) refers to this species’ big slanted front teeth, and dated on timeline in latest Triassic Period immediately before the Jurassic Period, therefore, dated 205 million years ago, Daemonosaurus (evil spirit lizard), and the most primitive theropod species existed before the 'evil spirit lizard'.

The discovery altered all previous beliefs of earliest dinosaurs vanishing millions of years earlier. The skull and neck vertebrae of Daemonosaurus revealed several features similar to those in later neo-theropods —the consequential group after the Daemonsaurus chauliodus on the evolutionary timeline; therefore, a missing link and a new species.