The elaphrosaur, whose name implies “light-footed lizard”, was connected to the Tyrannosaurus Rex and Velociraptor.
The 5-centimetre (two-inch) vertebrae fossil was learned all through a dig in the vicinity of Cape Otway in Victoria in 2015.
It is the very first elaphrosaur bone ever to be identified in Australia.
The fossil was uncovered by volunteer Jessica Parker, who was getting portion in an yearly dig led by Melbourne Museum.
At the time, it was assumed to be from a flying reptile identified as a pterosaur. But when palaeontologists at Swinburne University in Melbourne researched the fossil even more, they realised it was a delicately-created dinosaur.
“Elaphrosaurs had prolonged necks, stumpy arms with little palms, and reasonably evenly-constructed bodies,” Dr Stephen Poropat said.
The fossil indicated the animal was about two metres (6.5ft) long. On the other hand, other fossils earlier found in Tanzania, China and Argentina display that they could attain up to 6 metres in size.
Adult elaphrosaurs almost certainly did not consume a lot meat, Dr Poropat explained.
“As dinosaurs go, they had been fairly strange. The few acknowledged skulls of elaphrosaurs clearly show that the youngsters experienced enamel, but that the grownups missing their teeth and replaced them with a horny beak. We don’t know if this is real for the [Australian] elaphrosaur nonetheless – but we may possibly discover out if we ever explore a skull,” he stated.
Cape Otway, where the fossil was located, is a wealthy spot for discoveries. About a dozen animals and five dinosaur species have been determined there, in accordance to ABC Information. All those found incorporate a plant-consuming dinosaur identified in 2018.
