Scientists Discover New Species of Bone-Headed Dinosaur
Posted on May 7, 2013
Scientists have discovered a new bone-headed dinosaur from Alberta, Canada. Acrotholus audeti (Ack-RHO-tho-LUS) was identified from both newly discovered and historically collected fossils. Two skull caps were discovered over 50 years ago in southern Alberta. The skull holotype specimen of Acrotholus audeti, pictured below, was found by University of Toronto graduate student Caleb Brown in 2008.
The dinosaur measured six feet long and weighed about 40 kilograms (88 pounds). Scientists say the plant-eating dinosaur represents the oldest bone-headed dinosaur in North America, and possibly the world. The artist's illustration above shows the dinosaur's unique dome-shaped skull, which is composed of solid bone over 10 centimeters (2-inches) thick.
Dr. Michael Ryan, curator of vertebrate paleontology at The Cleveland Museum of Natural History, co-authored research describing the new species, which was published here in the journal Nature Communications. He predicts that many new small dinosaurs like Acrotholus are waiting to be discovered by researchers willing to take the time to sift through small bones found in the field. Take a look:
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