Scientists have discovered a new type of dinosaur on the British Isle of Wight. Unique is his pointed armor to protect himself from other dangerous dinosaurs.
The fossils are believed to date between 66 and 145 million years old. The remains belonged to Vectipelta Barretti, a type of dinosaur that owes its name to an employee of the Natural History Museum in London. “Any physical resemblance is purely coincidental,” jokes Professor Paul Barrett.
The animal looks intimidating with its jagged carapace. That should protect him from other dinosaurs. According to scientists, Vecipelta Barretti was not a dangerous carnivore, but a real vegetarian.
It is the second species of dinosaur found on the island. Scientists discovered the last dinosaur – also a herbivore – in 1865 on the island. His name was Polacanthus foxii. “Approximately 142 years ago, the remains of the Isle of Wight ankylosaurus were assigned to Polacanthus foxii,” said Stuart Bond, a co-author of the study. “Now all of these discoveries need to be reviewed because we have described these new species.”
The big difference between the two types is in the different shape of the neck and back bones. In fact, V baretti seems to bear more resemblance to the Chinese variant of ankylosaurus. Accordingly, the researchers suggest that dinosaurs roamed freely from Asia to Europe.
Scientists are pleased with this discovery. In this way they hope to learn more about how dinosaurs lived and how they became extinct.
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