The discovery of a fossil recently revealed this dinosaur predators never swam in the water like penguins or swans. The researchers named this dinosaur Natovenator polydontusmeaning “many-toothed swimming hunter”. Natovenator polydontus is a carnivore that lived in Mongolia during the Upper Cretaceous period or about 70 million years ago.
This dinosaur had a body of approx chicken, fin-like arms resembling penguin wings, a long neck like a swan, and a slender body. Researchers believe that the body Natovenator polydontus are covered in feathers, but cannot fly. Instead, they appear to have found their food by catching small fish, using jaws equipped with an unusually large number of teeth.
This time, we will find out more about Natovenator polydontus.
1. First discovered in Mongolia
Reported per page Reuters, Natovenator polydontus found in Mongolia. This dinosaur fossil is about the size of a swan and looks somewhat swan-like.
The skeletons found in the Gobi Desert are about 70% complete and well preserved. The Gobi Desert itself has been the site of many dinosaur fossils over the past few decades.
2. It is thought to have lived during the Cretaceous period
illustration by Natovenator polydontus (sci.news)Natovenator polydontus it is thought to have lived about 72 million years ago during the Cretaceous Period, according to the website Reuters. This dinosaur had a diving bird-like body with a slender body like a swan.
Natovenator belongs to the theropod group. Theropods are a group of dinosaurs known for their bipedalism or movement on two legs. Several dinosaurs are included in the theropod class, such as Tyrannosaurus, Tarbosaurus, and Giganotosaurus. Many theropods were feathered, branching in unusual directions, such as the long-clawed ground sloth-like Therizinosaurus, the ostrich-like Struthiomimus, the termite-eating Mononykus, and entire lineages of birds.
3. She has a goose physique
swan illustration (pexels.com/Mike Holford)Site explained Reuters, Natovenator is about 45 cm long, with a skull about 7 cm long. The forelimbs appear slightly flattened, which is thought to be an adaptation for rowing and swimming. This dinosaur had a flattened tail, like that of a diving bird. This physique is useful for reducing drag in the water and enabling efficient swimming.
The Natovenator also has an elongated neck and a flattened swan-like snout. Its mouth is also full of teeth, estimated to number more than 100 tiny teeth. The researchers also strongly believe that Natovenator’s body must have been covered in fur.
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4. Good at swimming
Natovenator polydontus (sputniknews.com)The Natovenator has adapted to a semi-aquatic lifestyle in freshwater ecosystems, possibly floating in rivers and lakes, paddling on its forelegs and using its flexible neck to catch fish and insects. Natovenator can also dive underwater to capture its prey.
Natovenator itself is classified as a non-avian dinosaur, cited by the page Reuters. Not many non-avian dinosaurs are known to have led a semi-aquatic lifestyle.
5. Very similar to Halszkaraptor, another dinosaur found in Mongolia
illustration by Halszkaraptor (sci.news)Natovenator closely resembles Halszkaraptor, another dinosaur also discovered in Mongolia, which scientists believe is a semi-aquatic dinosaur. It’s just that the Natovenator fossil discovery is more complete than Halszkaraptor, making it easier for scientists to see its streamlined body shape.
Site explained Cnn, both Natovenator and Halszkaraptor likely used their arms to propel them through the water. The findings of Natovenator and Halszkaraptor suggest there may have been a family of non-avian dinosaurs that swam like water birds. How exactly these dinosaurs swam is unclear, however.
6. More research is needed to determine the environment in which the Natovenator lives
Gobi Desert, where Natovenator polydontus was found (unsplash.com/Victor He)Natovenator fossils have been found in Mongolia’s Gobi Desert, so you might be wondering, what were semiaquatic dinosaurs doing in the desert? Reported by the CNN page, it is possible that there were lakes and other bodies of water in the Gobi Desert in the past. It’s just that more research is still needed to see the environment in which Natovenator lives.
7. Natovenator is believed not to have been the last aquatic dinosaur
dinosaur illustration (Doc. Jorge Gonzales via livescience.com)Researchers believe that Natovenator was not the last aquatic dinosaur. According to page SmithsonianHowever, the difficulty of finding swimming dinosaurs seems to have more to do with the incomplete fossil record. It is therefore believed that detailed studies of known dinosaurs will lead to the discovery of swimming adaptations in some unexpected species.
In fact, quoted from p Live science, curator of paleontology at the Northern Arizona Museum, believes all dinosaurs can swim. The reason is that animals like elephants and hippos can swim too, so we cannot tell whether or not dinosaurs could swim or not just by looking at their body shape.
Every discovery dinosaur fossils it often produces unexpected facts. Like it Natovenator polydontus, which has very different body characteristics from the dinosaurs we have imagined. Instead of big and scaryNatovenator polydontus it has a body similar to that of a swan, both in size and shape, and is good at swimming.
Also Read: These 8 Dinosaur Myths Turn Out To Be False, Not According To Popular Stories!
