New Species of Dinosaur Found In Alaskan Arctic

A new species of dinosaur has been uncovered in the arctic region of Alaska, much to the surprise of Alaska and Florida university researchers. The uncovered fossils are believed to have come from a distinct species of duck-billed dinosaur, known as the hadrosaur. Though scientists initially believed the specimen could be from a Edmontosaurus, a hadrosaur well-known in Canada and the U.S, differences noted in the skull and mouth areas have ultimately led scientists to classify the discovery as an entirely different species.

A NEW SPECIES OF DINOSAUR?

This is the fourth species unique to Alaska. Hirotsugu Mori, a graduate student from the University of Alaska Fairbanks, based his doctoral work on the find. Gregory Erickson, a Florida State University researcher, also took part in the study, which is published in the Acta Palaeontologica Polonica, a paleontology quarterly journal.

If not a duck bill, then what?

This northern hadrosaur-like dinosaur has officially been dubbed Ugrunaaluk kuukpikensis, meaning “ancient grazer” in the language of the Inupiat Eskimos, who currently inhabit the surrounding area. This particular dinosaur is classified as an herbivore, boasting a mouthful of hundreds of teeth that would have allowed it to chew the coarse vegetation that once thrived in the area. Moreover, Ugrunaaluk kuukpikensis grew to be around 30 feet long and walked on its hind legs for the most part.

Like the other dinosaur species found in Alaska, Ugrunaaluk kuukpikensis survived in extremely cold weather conditions. The discovery has caused scientists to reevaluate what think they know about dinosaurs, as it was believed that the animals could only survive in more tropical areas.

Ugrunaaluk kuukpikensis, specifically, is estimated to have lived around 69 million years ago, during the late cretaceous period, when the climate was not as severe as it is now. This may have made it easier for the dinosaurs to survive. Researchers, however, are still perplexed at how these hadrosaurs were able to persist through average temperatures between 5 to 9 degrees Fahrenheit.

The future of Alaskan Dinosaur Research

13 species of dinosaurs are believed to be specific to the Northern Alaskan area, but scientists are still attempting to uncover enough evidence to be able to name all of them. One thing they do know is that there has been no evidence of cold blooded creatures. This tell us that these animals are more related to the warm blooded mammals.


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