Paleontologists have finally found A Ocean Dinosaur adapted to aquatic conditions, i.e. able to swim and dive. The animal, about a meter long, lived in Mongolia prehistoric to about 71 million years ago and looked very different from its close relative, Velociraptor. The swimmer’s jaw is long and full of small teeth.
This feature earned the dinosaur the name Natovenator polydontus, “multi-toothed swimming hunter”. The bones of this new species were found in the Gobi Desert, a place widely known for preserving many species of dinosaurs and other forms of ancient life.
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According to Seoul National University paleontologist Sungjin Lee, “We realized it was something special because it [a ossada] It was beautifully preserved with a beautiful skull and a very long neck.” When experts analyzed the fossil, the structure appeared to share some characteristics with another species, Halszkaraptor, which was initially interpreted as a floating dinosaur.
This similarity heightened caution when examining Natovinator. This is how the researchers determined that it was a swimming dinosaur. The next step will be to understand the animal’s physical form and behavior under these conditions. According to paleontologist Federico Agnolin of the Museum of Natural Sciences of Argentina, who was not involved in the study, “Despite the evidence that isn’t entirely conclusive, I think some of the anatomical details of Natovenator are good indications that the animal was likely aquatic.”
The long jaw and many small teeth may have been an adaptation for consuming small, sliding or wriggling prey from the water, and Natovenator’s preserved ribs being pointed backwards, similar to those of penguins and auks, likely allowed it to swim better. This configuration has not been seen in any other dinosaur.
Some dinosaurs, like the large Spinosaurus, swam last. Spinosaurus had dense bones and had a jaw similar to that of a crocodile, which may indicate that it foraged in the water. However, nattovinator appears to have specific adaptations related to locomotion through water.
Researchers believe Natovenator swam with its forelimbs in a rudimentary version of what animals like penguins do. Future biomechanical studies will definitely address this issue. It remains to wait for new findings on this topic and, who knows, the emergence of new species.
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