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05/02/2024 02:17:06 am

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New Dinosaur Specie Found, Named in Shandong, China

A team of paleontologists discovered a one-of-a-kind hip bone from a new specie of dinosaur

(Photo : Getty Image) A team of paleontologists have discovered a unique bow-shaped hip bone from a new specie of dinosaur, whose fossil was found in Shandong Province in China.

A new specie of dinosaur has been found and named in Shandong Province, China. Paleontologists coined a name for the animal in the genus Leptoceratops, after its exceptional hip bone. 

Part of the Ischioceratops zhuchengensis' skeleton was discovered at the Kugou Quarry,  China. A number of other fossils have been excavated from this same site including ceratopsids. The new fossil material is believed to date to the late Cretaceous period (72 to 66 million years ago), which is the last dinosaur era.

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Leptoceratops are small and herbivorous in nature. They used their four legs for locomotion, but are believed to also have the ability to stand and walk using their two hind legs alone. Usually, they have a body length of two meters and are distinguished by their sturdy jaws with big teeth, without horns and very small frills.

The ischium of the newly discovered specie is unlike any other dinosaurs. It progressively flares until its middle part forms an obturator process and the shaft of the recurve bow seem like the shaft. It's ovoid-shaped fenestra permeate the obturator process, and the distal part of the shaft resembles an expansion similar to that of an axehead.

Its scientific name Ischioceratops zhuchengensis was derived from its distinct ischium horn-face and the city - Zhucheng - where it was excavated. 

The fossil was found by a team of researchers from the Institute of Vertebrate Palaeontology and Palaeoanthropology in Beijing, the Chicago Field Museum and the Zhucheng Dinosaur Museum in Zhucheng, China. Other than the I. zhuchengensis, 10 other new dinosaur were reportedly found. The findings of the study has been published in the PLOS ONE journal. 

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