JoAnna Wendel is a freelance science writer living in Portland, Oregon. She mainly covers Earth and planetary science but also loves the ocean, invertebrates, lichen and moss. JoAnna's work has appeared in Eos, Smithsonian Magazine, Knowable Magazine, Popular Science and more. JoAnna is also a science cartoonist and has published comics with Gizmodo, NASA, Science News for Students and more. She graduated from the University of Oregon with a degree in general sciences because she couldn't decide on her favorite area of science. In her spare time, JoAnna likes to hike, read, paint, do crossword puzzles and hang out with her cat, Pancake.
If you think of Transylvania, you might imagine a place populated by vampires and werewolves. Now, you can add"dwarf dinosaurs" to that list. A group of researchers recently identified a new species of dinosaur from the region, dubbing it Transylvanosaurus platycephalus, or,"flat-headed reptile from Transylvania." And it's part of a group of dwarf dinosaurs that evolved to be much smaller than their relatives.
In a new study, published online Nov. 23 in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology , the researchers described the newfound species from bone fragments from the forehead and from the lower back portion of the skull. In life, T. platycephalus would have measured just 6.5 feet long. It had a wide, flat head and lived alongside other reptiles, such as crocodiles and turtles.
And the dinosaur's diminutive size makes it the newest member of the so-called dwarf dinosaur family found in Romania's Hateg region . The Hateg dwarf dinosaurs are an infamous group of dinosaurs that have captivated paleontologists since their discovery in the early 20th century. In 2010, another group of researchers determined that during the Late Cretaceous, an island spanning about 30,900 square miles lay in the Hateg region where these dwarf dinosaurs have been found.
Malaysia Latest News, Malaysia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Oregon player punches Oregon State fan after devastating lossAfter the Oregon Ducks blew a three-touchdown lead and hurt their Pac 12 title game chances, an Oregon linebacker was caught punching an Oregon State fan.
Read more »
Oregon investigating after player punches Oregon State fan from behind following major upsetOregon University is looking into an incident following Saturday's shocking loss to Oregon State which appeared to show linebacker DJ Johnson on video punching a fan from behind.
Read more »
Gold coin rescues Roman emperor from obscurityA scientific analysis of ultra-rare gold coins rescues the emperor Sponsian from obscurity.
Read more »
Joanna Gaines apologizes to mom for 'living in halfness' on her Korean heritageIn her final podcast episode, Joanna Gaines spoke honestly about her early struggles to embrace her Korean roots.
Read more »