The different parts of the body of Chilesaurus were adapted to a particular diet and way of life, which was similar to other groups of dinosaurs. Chilesaurus’ pelvic girdle resembles that of the ornithischian dinosaurs, whereas it is actually classified in the other basic dinosaur division – Saurischia. Other features present in very different groups of dinosaurs Chilesaurus adopted were robust forelimbs similar to Jurassic theropods such as Allosaurus, although its hands were provided with two blunt fingers, unlike the sharp claws of fellow theropod Velociraptor. Chilean and Argentinian palaeontologists from institutions including the University of Birmingham, along with Diego’s parents, have been studying these skeletons, with the findings published in full in Nature today (Monday 27 April). Most of the specimens are the size of a turkey, but some isolated bones reveal that the maximum size of Chilesaurus was around three meters long. However, since Diego’s find, more than a dozen Chilesaurus specimens have been excavated, including four complete skeletons – a first for the Jurassic Period in Chile – and they demonstrate that this dinosaur certainly combined a variety of unique anatomical traits. Diego stumbled across the fossils while him and his sister, Macarena, were looking for decorative stones.ĭue to Chilesaurus’ unusual combination of characters, it was initially thought that Diego had uncovered several species. He discovered the fossil remains of this creature at the Toqui Formation in Aysén, south of Chilean Patagonia, in rocks deposited at the end of the Jurassic Period, approximately 145 million years ago.ĭiego was in the region with his parents, Chilean geologists Manuel Suarez and Rita de la Cruz, who were studying rocks in the Chilean Patagonia, with the aim to better understand the formation of the Andes mountain range. Chilesaurus diegosuarezi is named after the country where it was collected, as well as honoring Diego Suárez, the seven year old boy who discovered the bones.
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