An artist’s impression of Tongtianlong Credit: Zhao Chuang
The world’s unluckiest dinosaur died struggling to free itself from a muddy bog, a new fossil has shown.The bird-like species, was found lying on its front with its wings and neck outstretched.Scientists believed the creature became stuck in the mud about 66-72 million years ago as the species was evolving into a bird.It has been named Tongtianlong limosus, meaning ‘muddy dragon on the road to heaven’.Dr Steve Brusatte, of the University of Edinburgh’s School of GeoSciences, said: “This new dinosaur is one of the most beautiful, but saddest, fossils I’ve ever seen.
“But we’re lucky that the ‘Mud Dragon’ got stuck in the muck, because its skeleton is one of the best examples of a dinosaur that was flourishing during those final few million years before the asteroid came down and changed the world in an instant.”
The Tongtianlong fossil which was found in China during building work for a school Credit: Juan Chang
The two-legged animal belongs to a family of feathered dinosaurs called oviraptorosaurs which are characterised by having short, toothless heads and sharp beaks.Some, including the newly found species, had crests of bone on their heads that were probably used as display structures to attract mates and intimidate rivals.It is thought that this group of flightless animals was experiencing a population boost, diversifying into new species, during the 15 million years before the dinosaurs went extinct.
The group was probably one of the last groups of dinosaurs to diversify before the asteroid impact 66 million years ago, which killed off all of the non-bird dinosaurs.
A conservator works beside the Tongtianlong skeleton Credit: Juan Chang
The skeleton was found during excavations using explosives at a school construction site near Ganzhou.Researchers from the University of Edinburgh and China, who carried out the study, say the finding helps them understand how the last-surviving dinosaurs were growing in number before tragedy struck.Dr Junchang Lü, of the Institute of Geology, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, said: “The discovery of the new oviraptorid dinosaur further indicates that the Ganzhou area of Southern China is a most productive locality of oviraptorid dinosaurs and has a huge diversity of oviraptorosaurs from the late Cretaceous.
“It will provide important information on the study of evolution, distribution and behaviour of oviraptorid dinosaurs.”The study, published in Scientific Reports, was carried out in collaboration with the Institute of Geology, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences and the Dongyang Museum, China, and is the latest in a fruitful collaboration between Edinburgh and the Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences.