New dinosaur species discovered that had tiny arms like T. rex

A new species of dinosaur with limbs that are abnormally short, similar to those of Tyrannosaurus rex, has been found by Argentine paleontologists.

According to a study published on Thursday in the journal Current Biology, a fossil of Meraxes gigas, as the new dinosaur has been named, was discovered in what is now Argentina's northern Patagonia region. The fossil revealed that the creature was 11 meters (36 feet) long and weighed more than four tons.

The region would have been hot and muggy at the time, with plenty of streams and flora, including big trees. CNN was informed by Juan Canale, project manager of the Ernesto Bachmann Paleontological Museum in Neuquén, Argentina.

According to the study, the carnivore belonged to the family of dinosaurs known as Carcharodontosauridae, which lived between 145 and 66 million years ago.

In the past 30 years, a large number of Carcharodontosauridae fossils have been discovered, although nothing is known about their forearms, feet, or head.

With the finding of M. gigas, that has altered because of the astonishingly intact fossil.

For the first time, we have extensive knowledge of specific anatomical features of these enormous carnivorous dinosaurs, according to Canale.

A nearly entire forelimb was discovered, allowing researchers to draw the conclusion that M. gigas had small arms for such a big dinosaur, a morphological trait shared with T. rex that has long confounded paleontologists.

In addition, they discovered a nearly intact foot and skull, which allowed scientists to offer insight on how this particular group of dinosaurs developed. According to Canale, there was a tendency towards greater body proportions, larger heads, and smaller limbs in comparison to the body.

"There was sort of an arms race."

The fossil was discovered in the Huincul Formation, where, according to the research, bones of Argentinosaurus huinculensis, one of the largest known land creatures of all time, have also been discovered. Both fossils were discovered within the same time period.

Other long-necked herbivore species and other carnivorous dinosaurs, while smaller than M. gigas, are also known to have lived in the region.

Although it is typically exceedingly challenging to determine what dinosaurs consumed, loose teeth uncovered at excavation sites where herbivorous dinosaur fossils have been found have been connected to carnivorous dinosaurs, according to Canale.

As a result, he continued, we may infer that M. gigas would have preyed, at least in part, on these long-necked herbivores like Argentinosaurus huinculensis.

"It's not a coincidence that gigantic herbivorous and huge carnivorous dinosaurs existed in the same settings," said Canale, who went on to explain that when herbivores developed larger bodies as a form of protection, predators did as well in order to be able to feed on them.

He said that an arms race had taken place.

T. rex has "no direct connection,"

However, according to the research team, M. gigas originated independently of T. rex and became extinct about 20 million years before the latter walked the globe.

Although the two dinosaurs had tiny arms and huge heads, according to Canale, their bone structures are significantly unlike.

There is no direct connection, according to Canale.

According to Canale, the progenitors of M. gigas had smaller heads and longer limbs, which would have been useful for hunting. Over time, however, this altered.

According to earlier studies, dinosaur species like M. gigas and T. rex had reduced limbs as their skulls became larger.

According to Canale, this demonstrates that the hunter's head was employed to dispatch the victim rather than his or her arms.

According to him, predation-related actions like seizing or holding the victim would have been carried out immediately with the head in the more advanced species.

However, the fossil demonstrates that the chest muscles were also well-developed and the arms were strong despite being short, according to Canale.

He said, "This is not compatible with an extremity that has no purpose," adding that they may have been utilized to support the female during mating or to assist in getting up from the ground. The gender of the dinosaur represented by this specimen remains unknown to the researchers.

Additionally, the scientists discovered that M. gigas's skull featured decorations including crests, furrows, lumps, and tiny hornlets that were probably designed to entice potential mates.

According to Canale, there is still more to learn about M. gigas, and a colleague at the museum is now working on a thesis on the creature's feet and arms.

In addition, he added, there are more fossils in the region that still need to be unearthed, as well as dinosaur tracks that need to be examined.

We have a lot of work ahead of us, Canale continued.