New Dinosaur With Huge Claws And Bizarre Features Discovered In China

A new dinosaur discovered in China reportedly had a combination of features that would have made it look unusual even by dinosaur standards.

Dubbed Kayrasaurus changliensis, the newly discovered species belonged to Therizinosauria, a group of theropod dinosaurs known for their unusual anatomy and gigantic hand claws. According to scientists, the animal lived about 125 million years ago and was more than 11 feet long, making it the largest known therizinosaurian.

The discovery is based on a nearly complete skeleton found in the Lower Cretaceous Yixian Formation of western Liaoning, China. The skeleton is particularly valuable because much of the skull and hand anatomy was preserved, which offers archaeologists an unusually detailed look at an early member of this strange subset of dinosaurs.

Meet Kayrasaurus Changliensis

The recently discovered dinosaur derives its name from several references. Kayra comes from Kayra, a mythical creator in Turkic Shamanism, while saurus is Greek for lizard. The species name changliensis refers to Changli, the historic name of the region where the fossil was uncovered.

Archaeologists agree that the dinosaur belonged to a group of theropods that looked remarkably different from the stereotypical meat-eating dinosaur. Instead of having massive heads and short arms like the Tyrannosaurus rex that most people think of when they picture carnivorous dinosaurs, the Kayrasaurus changliensis had a small head, a long neck, a wide body, and huge claws. It’s believed that some of the later members of the species were herbivores, meaning they ate plants instead of meat. This fact makes their anatomy even more unusual.

The Fossil Was Nearly Complete

The new dinosaur discovered in China was also remarkable because of how complete the skeleton was. The fossil was uncovered in the Yixian Formation in western Liaoning, an area within the Jehol Biota that is famous for preserving Early Cretaceous fossils.

While the discovery of a new dinosaur is always exciting, researchers were digging there because the region has provided plenty of important discoveries in the past. However, many of the previous discoveries were feathered dinosaurs and other organisms that have helped researchers gain a clearer understanding of what life was like 120 million years ago.

Researchers did note that the fossil was missing its hind limbs, but the rest of the animal was incredibly well-preserved, including the skull and hands, which helped archaeologists determine that this was not a fossil from a dinosaur that they already knew about.

The team responsible for the discovery also believes that the dinosaur was still growing, which means that it was likely a young Kayrasaurus. This piece of information is especially important because it may help researchers determine how large a full-grown Kayrasaurus could become.

Its Teeth Were Tiny And Packed Together

Because of the skull’s condition, researchers were able to examine the teeth, which helped them put together an even more powerful picture of the dinosaur’s dietary habits. The team found that the skull contained extremely small teeth that were densely packed together. More than 45 teeth were well-preserved in the lower jaw, a number that’s higher than any other known therizinosaur.

The team that made the discovery believes that the small, tightly packed teeth may have been associated with a powerful bite and a large body. However, that’s an interpretation that cannot be directly observed from the fossil. Members of the research team have acknowledged that those theories are provisional and stated that they would need much more tangible data to make definitive conclusions.

The Giant Claws Have Grabbed Attention

Researchers have been particularly drawn to the massive claws. While therizinosaurs are widely known for their oversized claws, Kayrasaurus apparently had strongly curved claws across its three claw-bearing digits. The team also found an upward-pointing “lip” on one of the hand claws, a feature that makes the Kayrasaurus distinct from other dinosaurs within its species.

Researchers have put together an illustration of what they believe the Kayrasaurus looked like. The drawing depicts a feathered dinosaur with a long neck, a small head, and large forelimbs. The rendering is much different from the sleek body that most people think of when they picture theropods. Some scientists believe that if the drawing is correct, the Kayrasaurus changliensis may have focused on food sources that were higher than what many of its peers could reach.

The discovery of a new early Cretaceous dinosaur is always an exciting event. The fossil of Kyrasaurus changliensis serves as a powerful reminder that there are likely countless types of dinosaurs that humanity still knows nothing about.

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