April 6, 2021
Around 80 million years ago, as tyrannosaurs ruled the Northern Hemisphere, Llukalkan aliocranianus – or the ‘one who causes fear’ – flourished in the southern continents.
Paleontologists in Argentina have described a newly discovered species of dinosaur – named
Llukalkan aliocranianus, or ‘one who causes fear’ – in a study published March 31, 2021, in the peer-reviewed
Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology.
Around 80 million years ago, as tyrannosaurs ruled the Northern Hemisphere, this lookalike carnivore flourished in the southern continents. The fearsome predator could be as long as an elephant, had extremely powerful bites, very sharp teeth, and huge claws in their feet, the scientists reported.
Researchers unearthed the fossil remains – including an extremely well-preserved and intact braincase – in the Bajo de la Carpa Formation in Argentina, in 2015.
As detailed in a new research paper published last week in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, the coarse-looking beast grew to roughly 16.4 feet in length, sported long claws, delivered a vicious bite courtesy of razor-sharp teeth, and possessed a powerful sense of smell.
Its most distinguishing ability points to an acute sense of hearing, possibly far greater than the majority of prehistoric beasts of the time. Its large blunt skull was formed by thick bones, bulges, horns, and sharp ridges, similar in many ways to today s reptiles like the Gila Monster or iguanas.
Credit: Dr. Federico A. Gianechini et al./Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology
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Scientists in Patagonia, Argentina have discovered a new dinosaur named Llukalkan aliocranianus in the local Mapuche language, or the “one who causes fear.”