A new species of dinosaur has been discovered in Colorado, dating back 150 million years to the Late Jurassic period. The speedy plant-eater, named Enigmacursor mollyborthwickae, was identified by scientists after its skeleton went on display at London’s Natural History Museum.
The dinosaur lived in what is now Colorado during a time when giant dinosaurs like Stegosaurus and Diplodocus roamed the area. It was about 2 feet tall and nearly 6 feet long, weighing roughly the same as a collie dog.
Enigmacursor mollyborthwickae is believed to have been a wallaby-sized herbivore that scurried around the countryside, using its tiny forearms to bring food to its mouth. Its incredibly large feet would have helped it dart around quickly to avoid being stepped on or gobbled up by larger dinosaurs.
The fossil discovery was made on private land between 2021 and 2022 in Moffat County, Colorado. The skeleton is now on display at the Natural History Museum, marking the museum’s first new dinosaur exhibit since 2014.
Scientists have reclassified the species from Nanosaurus, a type of plant-eating dinosaur first described in 1877, due to limited evidence supporting its classification.
The discovery highlights the importance of not taking historic assumptions about dinosaurs at face value and encourages paleontologists to look beyond giant creatures when searching for new species.
Enigmacursor mollyborthwickae is closely related to a 10-foot-long dinosaur found in China, suggesting it may have inhabited a wide range. The specimen’s remains include separate neural arches that suggest the dinosaur was likely still growing when it died, but its cause of death remains a mystery.
Source: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/enigmatic-dog-sized-dinosaur-reveals-a-new-species-that-scampered-around-jurassic-north-america-180986895