Chinese paleontologists have recently discovered brand new burrowing dinosaur species. These animals are more than 100 million years old. A group of experts suggests that the approximate age is around 125 million. The discovery of the new dinosaur species took place in the Lujiatun Beds. The area is a part of Liaoning Province in Northeast China, and the remains are present in the Yixian Formation. These are some of the oldest layers from where paleontologists have come across a few hundred dinosaur skeletons. The last two decades are remarkable in the history of the skeleton discovery of massive dinosaurs.
Recently, the paleontologists have come across skeletons of the Changmiania liaoningensis, a rare dinosaur species. The remains are in perfect condition and with minimum erosion. Experts believe that these animal species got trapped due to volcanic eruptions in that area. Years back, these burrowing dinosaur species lived there, and a sudden volcanic eruption brought the ultimate destruction.
Features of the new burrowing dinosaur species
According to the reports of Verbeke, the Changmiania liaoningensis were small, bipedal, and herbivorous dinosaurs. They were only 1.2 meters long. However, they are indeed not the most accurate basal representative of dinosaurs’ ornithopod category to date. These are a category of herbivorous dinosaurs that were mainly found in the Cretaceous period. For example, Bernissart Iguanodons, hadrosaurs, and duck-bill dinosaurs are ornithopods. From the remains of the Changmiania liaoningensis, experts can make out that they were fast runners. The stiff tail and strong hind legs justify the findings.
The fossils of the burrowing species do not show signs of feathers. However, the skeleton preservation was correctly three dimensional. The animals, covered by sediments soon after their death, or even when they were alive. A paleontologist from the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Pascal Godefroit, researches more about the same. However, some proofs show how Changmiania liaoningensis were like rabbits. They were able to dig deep holes. The forearms and neck are robust and short, and the shoulder blades have burrowing vertebrates. Besides, their snouts also have a shovel-like formation.
The name Changmiania liaoningensis comes from the word “Changmian,” meaning “eternal sleep” in Chinese.
