New Dinosaur Halszkaraptor. Mix of Duck, Croc, Ostrich and Swan

Interesting bit in the paper today. This new beastie is of the same family as the Velociraptor that we've come to love thanks to the Jurassic Park movies. This one however is much smaller. The size of a turkey and was probably an aquatic dino.

With a bill like a duck but teeth like a croc’s, a swanlike neck and killer claws, a new dinosaur species uncovered by scientists looks like something Dr. Seuss could have dreamed up.

It also had flippers like a penguin, and while it walked like an ostrich it could also swim. That’s the first time swimming ability has been shown for a two-legged, meat-eating dinosaur.

The tiny creature, only about 18 inches (45 centimetres) tall, roamed 75 million years ago in what is now Mongolia. Its full curled-up skeleton was found in a sandstone rock.

torontosun.com...

Being a mash up of several other dinosaurs there was skepticism as to the authenticity of this find but tests proved this to be an authentic find.

Its mashup body let it run and hunt on the ground and fish in fresh water, said study co-author Paul Tafforeau. He’s a paleontologist at the ESRF , known as the European Synchrotron in Grenoble, France, a powerful X-ray generator where numerous tests were made on the fossil.

*snip*

So researchers used the Synchrotron to create three-dimensional images of the fossil, which showed the creature was indeed a single animal and not a concoction built up from several sources. For example, an arm hidden in the rock perfectly matched the visible left arm, and lines indicating growth matched up across the bones.

Even though the creature wasn’t dreamed up by Dr. Seuss, it got a blessing from a Dr. Sues.

Hans Sues, a paleontologist at the Smithsonian Institution who wasn’t part of the research, praised the work and said it “shows again how amazingly diverse dinosaurs were.”

Still skeptical that an animal can contain that many diverse attributes? Just look at the platypus.

Thats the new Star Wars creature for youngins to buy

My only question is, why on earth would Dr. Suess ever have wanted to dream up something like this?!

-Alee

......

Ok......

Now they’re just making stuff up!!!!

originally posted by: NerdGoddess
My only question is, why on earth would Dr. Suess ever have wanted to dream up something like this?!

-Alee

Have you seen the Lorax?

originally posted by: intrepid

originally posted by: NerdGoddess
My only question is, why on earth would Dr. Suess ever have wanted to dream up something like this?!

-Alee

Have you seen the Lorax?

TOUCHE!!!!

originally posted by: ManBehindTheMask
......

Ok......

Now they’re just making stuff up!!!!

Yeah well, look at the platypus.

When the first western visitors to Australia described them, people suspected that they had lost their minds.

i bet we can genetically modify a swan to look like this today

a reply to: intrepid

And people who still deny evolution will ask for crazy creatures like this.
Well here's one for them! Even tho the platypus is already a perfect example of intermediate speciation.

a reply to: intrepid

I cannot possibly be the only one that wants to raise these things like chickens. They are probably tasty. Their eggs are probably tasty. And just imagine betting on watching them fight. Real talk. Maybe they could get some DNA and magic a few of these things up! Say what you will; I can dream.

originally posted by: MisterMcKill
a reply to: intrepid

I cannot possibly be the only one that wants to raise these things like chickens. They are probably tasty. Their eggs are probably tasty. And just imagine betting on watching them fight. Real talk. Maybe they could get some DNA and magic a few of these things up! Say what you will; I can dream.

Ooh and people could breed different strains for colors and fancy feathers! It would be fun. I bet they're meaner than cat dirt though. Go in to feed the little buggers with armor on.

a reply to: intrepid

Evolution is crazy but really good science!

Is that thing cute, I want one. I suppose they attack and eat Humans. Great watchdog in the yard then.

a reply to: MisterMcKill

The stories of the mokele mbumbo claim that the meat of that creature killed those who ate it

"The size of a turkey and was probably an aquatic dino."

I can't wait to see what gets discovered next. I believe were going to be unraveling zoological mysteries till the end of times (Humans time that is).

BTW.. great to see ya Trep!

Official Intrepid Sighting

a reply to: NerdGoddess

How about this thing?
cdn.natgeotv.com.au...

"There is a place in Arabia, situated very near the city of Buto, to which I went, on hearing of some winged serpents; and when I arrived there, I saw bones and spines of serpents, in such quantities as it would be impossible to describe. The form of the serpent is like that of the water-snake; but he has wings without feathers, and as like as possible to the wings of a bat."

-Herodotus

a reply to: cooperton

No legs?

a reply to: intrepid

Bet it tasted like Chicken.

a reply to: NerdGoddess

He was on drugs at the time.