World's largest deinonychosaur tracks discovered in Fujian
Scientists have discovered large two-toed tracks in Lincheng Town, Fujian Province, east China, which belong to deinonychosaurs, the scientist team said Monday.
At least eight types of dinosaur tracks have been found over the years at the Longxiang tracksite by scientists and experts from China University of Geosciences and Yingliang Stone Natural History Museum, 12 of which are didactyl deinonychosaur tracks that fall into two morphologies.
Among the 12 two-toed fossil tracks, five large tracks measuring 36.4 cm in length and 16.9 cm in width, on average, led researchers to establish a new dinosaur taxon: Fujianipus yingliangi.
Based on relative toe-proportions, Fujianipus is a probable troodontid.
"These are currently the largest deinonychosaur tracks found in China and beyond," said Xing Lida, an associate professor at China University of Geosciences, adding that based on the size of the tracks, it is estimatied that Fujianipus was at least 5 meters long, with a hip height of nearly 2 meters.
"The Longxian tracksite is the best-preserved, largest area, and most diverse Late Cretaceous dinosaur tracksite discovered in China to date," said Niu Kecheng, curator of Yingliang Stone Natural History Museum.
The discovery of the Fujianipus yingliangi greatly expands the size range of deinonychosaur tracks, which is of great significance for the study of the Late Cretaceous dinosaurs in China, Niu added.
The discovery was recently published in the international journal iScience.
Related articles
Photovoltaic power generation boosts green development in rural areas
Beijing, March13 (Youth.cn) -On March 12th, 2024,atHuangsha Village, Zhuangkou Town, Huichang County2024-05-08Inside Thailand's last untouched island: Empty beaches, authentic villages, mangrove forests
A tourist boom over the last three decades has turned Thailand into the busiest tourist hub in south2024-05-08Revealed: The best 100 cities in the world for exploring by foot, with Rome No.1, London ninth
The world's best cities for exploring by foot have been revealed and it's Rome that takes the crown2024-05-08- It's surely the ultimate coffee-table book.Café Cool: Feel-good Inspiring Designs, by Robert Schneid2024-05-08
China's first new energy vehicle battery base in Northeast was established in Changchun
Beijing, March15 (Youth.cn) -On March 14th, 2024, inside the FAW-FINDREAMS New Energy Power Battery2024-05-08Tale of the state pension underpaid for 20 YEARS: This is Money podcast
The debacle over widespread errors in the state pension that This is Money and Sir Steve Webb uncove2024-05-08
atest comment