If you’ve ever wondered what kind of dinosaurs lived in Africa just before they all disappeared, we’ve got some exciting news for you!
Scientists in Morocco have found bones of new kinds of dinosaurs that are like distant relatives of the famous T. rex.
These discoveries give us a better idea about how many different types of dinosaurs lived in Africa right before a huge asteroid hit Earth 66 million years ago and wiped them out.
Meet the New Dinosaurs
Two new kinds of meat-eating dinosaurs were found near the city of Casablanca, Morocco. One kind is about as long as a small car (eight feet), and its fossil is a foot bone.
The other kind is as long as a van (15 feet), and we know about it from a bone in its leg.
These new dinosaurs belong to a family called Abelisauridae. They lived at the same time as a bigger dinosaur named Chenanisaurus, also found in Morocco.
This means that right before the big asteroid hit, different kinds of meat-eating dinosaurs were living together in North Africa.
Not Just Land Dwellers
What’s even more amazing is where these dinosaur bones were found. Dr. Nick Longrich, who led the research, said these bones came from an area that used to be underwater—a tropical sea full of sea reptiles and sharks!
Usually, we don’t expect to find dinosaur bones in places like this, but it seems like they were there.
Because the area has so many fossils, it has given scientists the best look at what kinds of dinosaurs lived in Africa toward the end of their time on Earth.
Up until now, scientists have found bones from five different kinds of dinosaurs in that area, including the two new kinds, a small duck-like dinosaur, a long-necked one, and the big Chenanisaurus.
Dr. Longrich said there are even more fossils they are studying. So, it looks like the place was a hotspot for dino-diversity!
Were Dinosaurs in Trouble Before the Asteroid?
For a long time, people have been debating why dinosaurs disappeared.
Some think that they were already having a hard time before the asteroid hit because of changes in the weather and other factors.
However, the new fossils suggest that at least in Africa, dinosaurs were doing just fine.
Dr. Longrich pointed out that looking only at fossils from one part of the world, like North America, doesn’t give us the full story.
In Morocco, dinosaurs were doing well and were diverse. So, the idea that dinosaurs were struggling everywhere before the asteroid might not be true.
Last Thoughts
According to Nour-Eddine Jalil, another scientist on the team, these rare dinosaur bones, along with other sea reptile fossils, tell us that life was actually pretty diverse just before the big asteroid hit.
In simple terms, it seems that dinosaurs in Africa were having a good time, living in a variety of places, and hanging out with a bunch of different dino buddies, right up until the end of their era.
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Source: University of Bath.
