Paleontologists affiliated with the Argentine Museum of Natural Sciences have declared, on Monday, that they have stumbled upon some 70 million-year-old remains belonging to a dinosaur species known as megaraptors. Megaraptors are known for being one of the last carnivorous species of dinosaurs to inhabit our planet.
This astonishing find was made in the southern province of Argentina, known as Santa Cruz. This happened sometime around the middle of the month of March of 2020. After a complete study of the discovered fossils, which have a length of about 10 meters, experts had concluded that they had stumbled upon the remains of the famed Megaraptor, a predatory dinosaur from the end of the era when they were present on Earth.
Fernando Novas, the paleontologist that led this project, had an interview with Reuters. He explained that 65 million years ago, the great extinction of dinosaurs took place. The new specimen of megaraptor that was discovered in Santa Cruz could, in fact, be one of the last representatives that scientists have available for this group.
A dinosaur specialist described how the megaraptors are different from their reptilian cousins, Tyrannosaurus Rex. The megaraptors were slim, and they were built for speed. They had long tails, which enabled them to keep their balance, even at high speeds. Their legs were somewhat muscular but elongated. This allowed them to take long steps.
The same specialist went forward, explaining how the megaraptors caught their prey. What is highly characteristic of megaraptors is that their arms are very long, and their thumb had, in its tip, a claw of approximately 40 centimeters (15 inches). This was very useful for the megaraptors when they were catching their prey. Combined with their strong legs and the long steps they took, the megaraptor was a fierce predator.
