Australian scientists were able to to discover a new species of dinosaur after completing years of fossil analysis. The dinosaur was named Kunbarrasaurus and was said to hold the record for having the most complete dinosaur fossil in Australia.
With the beak of a parrot, the size of a sheep and ears of a turtle, Kunbarrasaurus looks like a mix of different animals, rendering it truly unique from other dinosaur species. What made it all the more unusual is its crocodile-like skin that contains bones.
The fossil of the "armored" dinosaur was first discovered in 1989, but it is only recently that a group of researchers from the University of Queensland (UQ) revealed the highly distinct features of the dinosaur.
Studies that started in the 1990s classified the fossil under the species of the ankylosaurus. Such group is characterized by its four-legged structure, herbivorous nature and close association with stegosaurs.
For the longest time, the fossils were considered the most well-preserved ankylosaurus fossil. However, recent research revealed very distinct discrepancies that called out for a new name.
The species was recently named Kunbarrasaurus ieversi. The word "kunbarra," means "shield" in the Mayi language of Australian aboriginals. Ieversi was derived from the original discoverer of the fossil, Ian Ievers.
The UQ study began in 2007, wherein a CT scan procedure of the fossil was performed at the Mater Adult Hospital.
The results of the imaging study became the basis of the 3D reconstruction created by Ohio University's Lawrence Witmer. The model included presentations of the dinosaur's brain, nasal cavities and inner ear.
"The CT reconstruction revealed that Kunbarrasaurus had a more complicated airway than other dinosaurs, but less so than ankylosaurs from the Northern Hemisphere," said Witmer.
The new findings made co-author Steve Salisbury suggests that Kunbarrasaurus should be classified as a new species. He added that the dinosaur is older than most ankylosaurs from Asia and North America.
The skeleton is currently displayed at the Queensland Museum (Southbank).
The entire research study was published online in PeerJ.
