A new species of dinosaur called ‘Captain Hook’ with a curved claw at the end of its arms is discovered in Montana and roamed Earth 66 million years ago.
- Paleontologists discover remains of a new species of dinosaur in Montana
- Called the hooked dinosaur, the creature had a curved hook on each arm.
- Its official name translates as Captain Hook and it is a member of alvarezsaurida.
- The dinosaur was very small, covered in elegant feathers, and fed on insects.
- Experts say it was one of the last dinosaurs on Earth 66 million years ago.
Paleontologists unearthed a new species of dinosaur that has named it in honor of the mythical character ‘Captain Hook’ due to a single claw hooked at the end of its arms.
Nicknamed Trirarchuncus prairiensis, the creature was covered in graceful feathers and had two short arms with a long claw at either end that used to dig or split wood for insects.
The researchers discovered three claws of different sizes in Montana’s Hell Creek Formation, one of which is the most complete claw known to the species.
The fossilized claws are also more hooked than others found in the past and are from different stages of growth, giving experts a glimpse of how the dinosaur with the hook-shaped hands changed as it aged.
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Paleontologists unearthed a new species of dinosaur that has named it in honor of the mythical character ‘Captain Hook’ due to a single claw hooked at the end of its arms
The hooked dinosaur is a member of alvarezsaurida, which were small, long-legged creatures and has been speculated to represent the earliest ancestors of today’s flightless birds.
The name ‘Trierarchuncus’ refers to ‘trierarch’, the captain of a seafaring ship, and ‘uncus’ meaning hook that was combined in the form ‘Captain Hook’ in reference to the Peter Pan pirate.
The new species is the youngest of the group and is said to be one of the last dinosaurs to walk the Earth before being killed off during the final Cretaceous mass extinction event.
It had long legs, with ostrich-like feet and a very long pointed snout.
The researchers discovered three different-sized hand claws in Montana’s Hell Creek Formation, one of which is the most complete known claw of the species.
The fossilized claws are also more hooked than others found in the past and are from different stages of growth, giving experts a look at how the hooked dinosaur with hands changed as it aged
What makes this dinosaur so unique were its short arms that had a large claw at the end.
Scientists unearthed three of these claws while excavating the Hell Creek Formation, which is known as a paleontologist’s dream.
The site is near Jordan, Montana, in the eastern region of the state, and is riddled with rock splits in North America that date to the end of the Cretaceous period about 65.5 million years ago.
The three claws provide experts with a series of hands-on growth of the dinosaur, starting from a juvenile to an adult adult.
One of the claws is the most complete that has been discovered of an Alvarezsaurida and is much more hooked than those previously found.
The new species is the youngest of the group and is said to be one of the last dinosaurs to walk the Earth before being killed off during the final Cretaceous mass extinction event.
“This is important as it is recognized that dinosaurs changed shape, often significantly, as they grew,” the researchers shared in a statement.
In fact, the new fossils show that as Trierarchuncus grew, its hand claw became more robust; the grooves of the blood vessels on the sides of the claw were embedded deeper into the bone; and the claw surface developed from smooth in young individuals to rough surface texture in adults. ‘
One of the claws is the most complete that has been discovered of an Alvarezsaurida and is much more hooked than those previously found.
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