Rebuild the dermal armor of the last dinosaurs … – RTVE

EFE

For the first time, paleontologists UAM and UNED have reconstructed the dermal armor of titanosaur sauropods, the last giant dinosaurs . The feat has been possible thanks to the fossils found at the site of the Upper Cretaceous Lo Hueco Cuenca .

These dinosaurs peculiar structures developed shortly before disappearing , 66 million years ago. Specifically had a shell composed of a very large bones were embedded in the skin.

Paleontologists from the Autonomous University of Madrid, José Luis Sanz and Daniel Vidal and Evolutionary Biology Group at UNED Francisco Ortega, have been responsible for carrying out the reconstruction. The study is published in the open access journal PLoS One.

Fossil exceptional

Ortega has indicated that sauropods Lo Hueco belong to the past there were giant dinosaurs on Earth.

This site hosted numerous dinosaur fossils were discovered in 2007 to work on the AVE Madrid-Levante made. Predominate titanosaur sauropods, the largest group of animals that have walked the planet.

In the world has only appeared between 30 and 40 bones of this type , called osteoderms , twenty of them in Lo Hueco, which have allowed paleontologists interpret not known to the external appearance of these long-necked dinosaurs aspects.

“We have the largest collection of sauropod osteoderms known a single site in the world and this has allowed us interpret how the morphology of these osteoderms , “says Ortega.

Armor developed before extinction

In this regard, the paleontologist defines a sauropod with a dermal armor as “a freak” because only developed this structure “just moments before extinction.”

These animals are known from 200 million years ago to 66 million years ago and developed before their extinction armor, which included a Bone 60 inches producing a prominence at the height of the back .

The sauropods dermal armor are ‘freaks

Nor is it clear how they worked these bony structures because almost had not appeared until Lo Hueco, where they have found osteoderms up to 60 inches long, stands Ortega was discovered.

There is only one group of armored dinosaurs, Stegosaurus with a relative similar, but although these animals could have a big size is not comparable to the titanosaurs, measuring more than 20 meters.

Approximate Reconstruction

After studying the morphology of osteoderms appeared in Lo Hueco, paleontologists have made a proposed reconstruction , because the analysis of fossils have clarified how fit or bone pieces could fit within the dermal armor.

Researchers have deduced that titanosaurs sauropods probably wore the spikes at the base of the tail and especially in two rows along the back.

however still has not been clearly determined in order to have these structures because it seems obvious that there would be defensive in nature “because these animals were huge and did not need,” says Ortega.

In this regard, said that studies were mainly in Madagascar (before the appearance of The Hollow) pointed to the osteoderms could be related to the development of calcium deposits for the start of the eggs , ie serve as a reservoir of salts built with a bone structure.

We are working on CT computerized with osteoderms of The Hollow to see if it complies with these fossils, but still have no results, he added.