China News Service, Beijing, December 2 (Reporter Sun Zifa) A new paleontological research paper published in the professional academic journal "Communication-Biology" under Springer Nature stated that researchers discovered a new species of non-avian dinosaur fossil, It had a streamlined body similar to modern diving birds such as penguins and puffins.
The findings represent the first non-avian theropod (a carnivorous dinosaur that walked on two legs) with a streamlined body.
The corresponding author of the paper, Yuong-Nam Lee of Seoul National University in South Korea, and his collaborators identified a new species of dinosaur from a fossil remains sample in Mongolia, named Natovenator polydontus, which means "swimming hunter with many teeth".
The fossil sample is a mostly intact skeleton with a skull, spine, and remains of a forelimb and two hindlimbs.
Several adapted features from the authors' study of the new dinosaur species fossils suggest that Natovenator polydontus may have been a semi-aquatic diving predator. These features include a streamlined body (ribs pointing toward the tail) similar to modern diving birds, and similarities with modern waterbirds ( such as geese) with a similar long neck.
These adaptations may have reduced the drag that Natovenator polydontus encountered while swimming, helping it catch prey.
They also deduce that Natovenator polydontus possessed an unusually large number of teeth relative to the size of its jaws, which may indicate that its diet was based on fish or insects, although further evidence (such as fossilized remains of stomach contents) is needed for this speculation. confirm.
The authors of the paper believe that their analysis of the evolutionary relationship between the new species of dinosaurs and other theropods shows that Natovenator polydontus is related to Harzkaraptor (also a non-avian theropod dinosaur), which was previously believed to be the Harzkaraptor. Dragons probably adapted to a semi-aquatic lifestyle, similar to living waterfowl.
Together, these findings suggest that Natovenator polydontus was a semi-aquatic diving predator, and also provide additional insights into theropod evolution.
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