
AKIPRESS.COM - A new species of bird-like dinosaur, which was probably a small-sized troodontid, has been discovered in Mongolia.
The dinosaur belongs to Troodontidae, a group of bird-like theropod dinosaurs known from the Late Jurassic to Late Cretaceous epoch. According to Mongolian paleontologist Barsbold Rinchen, this group raises a lot of questions for scientists
"The composition of the group was uncertain, the connections are completely unclear. The first finds, very incomplete, were studied in Mongolia from the Upper Cretaceous deposits. Their feet were most often preserved," he said.
The predator's foot has a second toe with a greatly enlarged claw phalanx, similar to that of velociraptors. According to scientists, the claw could be used for attack and defense. The remaining features are not fully known. Troodontids do not have the special features of the pelvis and tail that are typical of dromaeosaurids. However, researchers assume that the two groups are related; their hypothesis can be confirmed by more complete finds of their skeletons in the future.