{"id":6573,"date":"2023-07-02T22:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-07-02T22:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/?p=6573"},"modified":"2023-06-23T07:21:32","modified_gmt":"2023-06-23T07:21:32","slug":"unprecedented-discovery-unveils-bizarre-hand-structure-of-newly-found-theropod-dinosaur","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/unprecedented-discovery-unveils-bizarre-hand-structure-of-newly-found-theropod-dinosaur\/","title":{"rendered":"Unprecedented Discovery Unveils Bizarre Hand Structure of Newly Found Theropod Dinosaur"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In collaboration with an Italian colleague, a team of archaeologists, paleontologists, and researchers from China have identified a new species of theropod dinosaur distinguished by its peculiar hand characteristics. Their study, published in Cretaceous Research<\/a>, provides insights into this recently unearthed dinosaur’s evolutionary placement within the broader family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The fossilized specimen was discovered at the Pigeon Hill excavation site near Baoshan, Inner Mongolia, China. Embedded in a rock slab, the fossil could only be examined from a side view. Nonetheless, this limited perspective revealed a particular theropod fossil, representing a previously unknown species. Radiometric dating estimates its age to be approximately 121 million years, placing the dinosaur within the Early Cretaceous period.<\/p>\n\n\n

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The image showcases the holotype hand of Migmanychion laiyang showcasing the slab (B) and the reversed image of the counterslab (A). (Wang et al., 2023)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

The newly named dinosaur, Migmanychion laiyang<\/em>, belongs to the Maniraptora group, a subset of coelurosaurian dinosaurs that includes some of the ancestors of modern birds. Examination of its bone structure confirms its classification within Maniraptora, a group encompassing famous dinosaurs like Tyrannosaurus rex and Allosaurus. Notably, Maniraptorans possess long arms and hands with three fingers, characterized by a unique crescent-shaped bone in the wrist. They are the only dinosaur group known to include flying species.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While the fossil remains incomplete, comprising a fully preserved hand, a few ribs, and a left forelimb, its hand structure distinguishes Migmanychion from all other known theropods. The hand exhibits similarities to oviraptorosaurs and therizinosaurs, with the latter represented by the well-known pot-bellied Therizinosaurus. Oviraptors are recognized for their feathered appearance, bird-like skulls, and omnivorous diet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The researchers propose that M. laiyang<\/em> likely evolved independently from lineages leading to modern birds, resembling the enigmatic Fukuivenator paradoxes<\/em> discovered in Japan. Further exploration and discovery of additional specimens are essential for a more precise classification and deeper understanding of this new species.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the same excavation site, fragmentary remains of limbs and a partial pelvis tentatively belong to a paravian maniraptoran. These findings contribute to our knowledge of the diverse array of theropod dinosaurs and their evolutionary relationships within the broader avian lineage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

References<\/h1>\n\n\n\n