Paleontological discovery: scientists discovered unique remains of newborn dinosaurs (photo)

Incredible finds were made in the states of Victoria and New South Wales, located in the southeast of Australia. These ancient reptiles existed about 100 million years ago during the middle Cretaceous period.

In those ancient times, Australia was located much closer to the South Pole, and although the climate was colder compared to today, it was still mild enough for dinosaurs to live. This is written by the online magazine cikavosti.

The discovered reptiles belonged to the group of ornithopods – they were two-legged herbivorous creatures that were related to the well-known iguanodon, but their sizes were much more modest. The weight of a mature animal could reach 20 kilograms, while a cub at the time of birth weighed no more than 200 grams. In these places, the remains of adults of similar species have already been found, but this is the first case of finding the remains of very young dinosaurs in Australia, and possibly in the entire southern hemisphere.

The smallest bones probably belonged to those who did not have time to hatch from the egg. The slightly larger bones found in Victoria may have belonged to newborns that were just beginning their life outside the egg and were probably not far from where they hatched. Due to the small age and poor preservation, the exact species of these dinosaurs has not been established.

So far, it has not been possible to find the eggs themselves or their fragments. There is an assumption that they could have been destroyed by predators of that era.

The reasons for the death of young dinosaurs remain a mystery, but there is a version that it could have happened due to extremely low temperatures. At that time, the southeastern part of Australia was located at latitudes similar to modern Greenland, but in the opposite hemisphere.

More detailed information can be found in an article published in the journal Scientific Reports.

If you want to receive the latest news about the war and events in Ukraine, subscribe to our Telegram channel!