Another type of non-avian dinosaur with a smoothed-out body like those of current jumping birds, like penguins and auks, is depicted in a review distributed in Correspondences Science. The findings concern the first instance of a non-avian theropod—a type of savage dinosaur that walked on two legs—with a smoothed out body.
Yuong-Nam Lee and partners recognized the new species by inspecting the fossilized remaining parts of an example from the Omnogovi Region, Mongolia. They have named the species Natovenator polydontus, signifying “swimming tracker with numerous teeth.” The example is a generally complete skeleton and includes the skull, a spinal segment, one forelimb, and the remaining parts of two hindlimbs.
The creators report a few variations that propose that Natovenator might have been a semiaquatic jumping hunter, including a smoothed-out body like those of current plunging birds—wwith ribs that point towards its tail—aand a long neck like present-day water birds like geese. These adaptations might have decreased the drag that Natovenator would have been exposed to while swimming and assisted it in getting prey.
The creators likewise guess that the strangely large number of teeth that Natovenator had comparable to the size of its jaw could show that it ate a fish- or bug-based diet, but additional proof—ffor example, the fossilized remaining parts of its stomach contents—iis expected to affirm this.
Examination of the developmental connections among Natovenator and other theropod dinosaurs shows that it was firmly connected with halszkaraptorines, a gathering of non-avian theropods that past exploration has proposed may have been adjusted for a semiaquatic way of life, like current waterfowl. The findings show that Natovenator was a semi-oceanic jumping hunter and add to our understanding of theropod evolution.
More information: Sungjin Lee et al, A non-avian dinosaur with a streamlined body exhibits potential adaptations for swimming, Communications Biology (2022). DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-04119-9
Journal information: Communications Biology
