The dinosaur found many years ago turned out to be a new species.

Recently, scientists have identified a new species of theropod dinosaur from the family of troodontites. He was named Albertavenator curriei in honor of the famous Canadian paleontologist Dr. Philip J. Curry. The find is interesting not only in itself, but also because it opens a new page in the study of the late Cretaceous period: it seems that much more dinosaur species lived on Earth during this period than previously thought.

Younger brother

In the photo: Comparison of the sizes of Albertavenator curriei and man

Museum Excavations

Paleontologists admit that the fragile bones of dinosaurs are often not preserved, and different species often differ precisely in small details. For example, the Albertavenator differs from the troodon in a shorter and stronger skull, but it was possible to find out only after a detailed anatomical and statistical comparison of the bones of the skull that form the upper part of the dinosaur's head. Teeth that are preserved better and in large numbers are less suitable for comparison: in similar species they are almost identical.

In the photo: Exhibit of the Royal Tyrell Museum

The appearance of a new dinosaur, which is very similar to the already famous lizard, may be a sign of an important discovery. It was believed that at the end of the Cretaceous, there were few dinosaur species. Perhaps this is not so, just the technology for determining different species in humans was not sufficiently developed to separate them. Therefore, all dumped in one pile.

Repeated studies of already known findings open up new pages in the history of the evolution of the animal world of the Earth. This means that in the future, paleontologists will be able to make high-profile discoveries not only in excavations, but also in museum halls.