carnivorous dinosaurs had feet like those of hens – MDZ Online

“This discovery will allow interpret from a new point of view the track records of carnivorous dinosaur”, they said.

For years, thousands of reconstructions of dinosaurs have been made by paleoartists for movies, comics and scientific illustration. Some aspects have been the subject of ongoing discussions. This is the case of podoteca, the structure of scales covering the feet of the archosaurs like crocodiles, pterosaurs and dinosaurs, including birds.

In most cases, the theropod dinosaurs are reconstructed similar to that of current podoteca birds. The tyrannosaur Jurassic Park, for example, they placed a chicken legs although there was no direct evidence of this structure.

Recently, the journal Cretaceous Research has published an analysis of skin debris associated with limb Rear Concavenator corcovatus theropod (known as Pepito) the site of Las Hoyas (Cuenca), which allows for scientific rigor and rebuild the structure of scales that covered the bottom of this specimen.

The study have Elena developed Cuesta and José Luis Sanz, paleontologists from the Autonomous University of Madrid; Francisco Ortega, Evolutionary Biology Group at UNED and Ignacio Díaz-Martínez Research Institute of Geology and Paleobiology of Argentina (CONICET).

The Hoyas is a site recognized worldwide for its high capacity preservation of animals and plants. This is the case of fossil Concavenator, a theropod dinosaur whose skeleton is almost complete and articulated. Its exceptional preservation can observe integumentary tissue in various areas, such as the thigh, around the tail and neck. This allowed the researchers to analyze the appearance of the first podoteca found in a theropod dinosaur in the fossil record.

Structure of scales

The authors analyzed skin impressions associated with right foot Concavenator and compared with the fossil record, as well as the podoteca of existing agencies related to dinosaurs (crocodiles and birds).

The study identifies the podoteca of concavenator the same elements having the birds, ie three different scales, the management of these, the development of footpads with the same arrangement as in birds like ostriches and the presence of a hoof capsule that would form the clutches of the fingers.

“The existence of a structure so similar to that of modern birds in a theropod as Concavenator imply its appearance in an early stage of evolution of the lineage leading to modern birds and their likely presence in all non-avian theropods, “the authors say.

” This discovery will allow interpret from a new point of view registration carnivorous dinosaur footprints, “they add.

Source: http://www.agenciasinc.es/