Toothy Carnivorous Dinosaur Looks Like Cross Between Goose and Penguin, Found in Gobi Desert, Mongolia

A toothy carnivorous dinosaur that resembles a cross between a penguin and a goose was discovered in the depths of the Gobi Desert in Mongolia.

The nearly complete skeleton was discovered in 2008 by a team under the direction of Yuong-Nam Lee, Seoul National University's paleontologist, and professor, in the Baruungoyot Formation of the Gobi Desert in southern Mongolia.

The fossil, which belonged to a dinosaur that lived from 66 to 145 million years ago during the Late Cretaceous period, contained the forelimb, skull, spinal column, and two hindlimbs.

Delicate, Beautiful Specimen

The specimen, according to Lee, was extremely delicate but expertly preserved. It had a distinctive long neck and a skull with numerous tiny teeth. The rib cage's shape, which is posteriorly oriented, suggests that the animal had a streamlined body like penguins do.

Only 10% of small specimens are discovered in such good condition, according to Lee. Small fossils are frequently overlooked and easily destroyed by field researchers.

The name of the species, Natovenator polydontus, means "swimming hunter with many teeth," The New York Times reports.

Semi-Aquatic Reptile

The Natovenator would have resembled modern diving birds like auks and penguins, according to the study. Additionally, it was a theropod, a carnivorous dinosaur with two legs.

But the Natovenator is the first theropod that has been discovered to have a streamlined body, so in addition to walking on land, it would also have been able to swim with ease.

Based on its shape and similarities to contemporary diving birds, paleontologists believe this dinosaur must have been a semi-aquatic predator, according to the study.

The dinosaur had a long neck, pointed ribs that directed toward its tail, and was similar in length to modern geese. According to the study, the creature that bears a striking resemblance to a penguin had an unusually large number of teeth concerning its jaw. This is strong proof that the dinosaurs consumed fish.

Halszkaraptor

Paleontologists may be able to learn more about theropod evolution from the Natovenator's nearly complete skeleton.

Since the Halszkaraptor holotype was a stolen specimen, Lee asserted that there was controversy surrounding its veracity. Additionally, there were defenses for Halszkaraptor's semi-aquatic way of life.

The fossils of other relatives of the Halszkaraptor were also too poorly preserved to provide clues about the ecology of this type of dinosaur. Many of this new species' semi-aquatic traits, like its long neck and streamlined body, were previously believed to be unique to the Halszkaraptor.

The study claimed that these two dinosaurs' striking resemblances demonstrate the existence of an "ecological niche" during this time.

According to the study published in the journal Communications Biology, this particular dorsal rib morphology strongly suggests that Natovenator was a skilled swimmer because body streamlining offers hydrodynamic advantages during swimming.

It also offers the first convincing evidence of a non-avian theropod dinosaur having a streamlined body. It thus serves as an example of how theropods other than birds can have a variety of body types.

Natovenator shares many specialized features with Halszkaraptor, which aids in our understanding of the halszkaraptorine body plans, Newsweek reports