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WASHINGTON – Scientists in Argentina have discovered a well-preserved skull of a carnivorous dinosaur that roamed northern Patagonia about 85 million years ago – a beast of prey with a short snout, sharp ears and thick bite strength.
The dinosaur, named Lucalcan alleocranianus, was about 16 feet (5 meters) long and was a member of a group of flesh called abelisurrites that thrived in South America and the southern hemisphere during the Cretaceous, researchers said Tuesday.
Lulcalcan, which means “one who causes fear” in the local Mapuche language, may have competed directly against a relative, which was equally impressive and slightly larger. About 700 yards (700 m) from the site where Lulcalcan’s fossil skull was found, scientists have unearthed the remains of another carnivorous dinosaur, formerly known as the Vivanator Exoni.
Both are abyssal ridges, a group of two-legged hunters with short skulls, sharp and cherid teeth, very short arms with small fingers and heads, sometimes with unusual ridges and small horns. About 15 million years after Lugalcan, the aphilisurites are generally medium-sized compared to the large carnivorous dinosaurs such as the dinosaur Rex, which lived in North America, and the giganodosaurus, which lived in Patagonia about 15 million years before Lulcalcan.
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“Yes, it’s very unusual to find two Abelisurites living in the same place and almost simultaneously,” said Federico Gianesini, an archaeologist at Argentina’s National Science and Technology Research Council (GONICET) and leading author. Of a study published in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology.
“Lugalkan is slightly smaller than the adult, however, if they had lived together they would certainly have shared the same ecological significance and eaten the same prey, so they would have competed with each other – why not – ate each other,” Gianechini added. “Today, hunters of different species, but members of the same family live together in the same ecosystem as lions, leopards and leopards.”
Lulcalcan’s skull is about 20 inches (50 cm) long. A large percentage of skull bones were found, including the well-preserved brain.
“One of the peculiarities of this dinosaur is that there are other abyssal-free pits in the ear area, which may have given the species different hearing abilities and possibly a greater hearing range,” Gianechini said.
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“Good safety has allowed tomography to examine the interior of the brain, thus predicting the shape of the brain,” Gianechini added.
Lulcalcan had a powerful bite based on the muscle of its jaw, and its teeth could tear flesh from its prey. Unlike some aphrodisiacs, its skull is not flat.
No bones have been found from other parts of its body, although researchers are well aware of its body structure based on other aphrodisiacs. They estimate that Lugalgan weighs one to five tons.
Patagonia has made significant dinosaur discoveries in recent decades. Lugalkan’s discovery allows us to gain a deeper understanding of the ecosystems of northern Patagonia during the final chapter of the dinosaur era, Cretaceous. Lulcalcan lived in a semi-arid climate with a seasonal climate, hunting down a variety of plant-eating dinosaurs.
(Will Dunham Report; Compiled by Jonathan Odyssey)
