Research on bones conducted over many years has led scientists to conclude that they belong to a tiny dinosaur the size of a chicken, reports the BBC.
This new species, named Foskeia pelendonum, likely lived on Earth about 125 million years ago and belonged to a group of herbivorous dinosaurs known as ornithopods. Despite its modest size, its skull turned out to be quite complex.
Paleontologist Penelope Cruzado-Caballero from the University of La Laguna in Spain noted: “The anatomy of this dinosaur is so unusual that it may require a revision of evolutionary trees.”
The study has been conducted since 2013 by an international team of scientists led by Paul-Emile Diodonne from the National University of Río Negro in Argentina. According to their data, the remains found belong to at least five different individuals.
According to Diodonne, “the most intriguing part of this discovery is that it confirms the existence of many more such fossils, most of which likely belonged to small dinosaurs.” This discovery changes our understanding of the diversity of small dinosaurs and their evolutionary development.
The smallest dinosaur in Europe
Diodonne also pointed out that smaller dinosaur remains are usually more fragile and harder to find. “Unfortunately, small bones deteriorate faster, and their fragments are more difficult to preserve,” he added.
Paleontologist Cohen Stein from the Free University of Brussels noted that against the backdrop of European finds, this dinosaur is indeed extremely small.
The height of Foskeia pelendonum is estimated to be about 25-30 cm, which corresponds to the size of a chicken.
Stein claims: “It can be confidently said that this is one of the smallest dinosaurs in Europe, if not the smallest in the world.”
Initially, scientists thought that the discovered small bones might belong to young individuals; however, further study disproved this version.
According to Stein, one of the found specimens was an adult, and it appears that young dinosaurs moved on four legs and then transitioned to two.
Foskeia is the earliest known representative of rhabdodontomorphs, a group within ornithopods.
These small dinosaurs were likely initially small, which helped them avoid predators, explains Diodonne: “Small size does not contribute to long-distance running, but is perfect for quick hiding.”
A long path to discovery
Most of the fossils were found back in 1998, and additional finds have been made in recent years at the same site. However, identifying these finds took a long time.
Fidel Torsida Fernández-Baldor, a co-author of the study and the discoverer of this site, collected the main remains at the Dinosaur Museum in Salas de los Infantes in northern Spain.
“From the very beginning, we realized the uniqueness of these bones due to their tiny size,” noted Torsida Fernández-Baldor.
The discovery of Foskeia, whose name comes from the ancient Greek word for “light,” is of great significance for understanding the evolution of ornithopods.
Co-author of the study, paleontologist Marcos Becerra from the National University of Córdoba in Argentina, emphasizes that “miniature sizes do not indicate primitiveness.”
Foskeia also had an unusual tooth structure: the front teeth are protruding and look “like a huge trident.”
Stein adds that this dinosaur had an “interesting skull shape,” which further confirms the diversity of experimental forms that arose during evolution.
The significance of the skull
In 2016, these fossils were preliminarily attributed to an ornithopod dinosaur called Vegagete, but there was not enough information for their official classification at that time.
New discoveries, including skull fragments, allowed researchers to accurately identify the species and name it Foskeia pelendonum.
Diodonne explains: “The skull gives us many indicators about the organism's life, including its diet, vision, and balance.”
The shape of the skull adapts to the specific needs of animals in their habitat, and according to the scientist, “even the smallest fragments of these bones can provide extensive information about the daily life of the dinosaur.”
“It is important to document such finds to understand how these creatures existed, developed, and evolved, as well as how life on Earth changed in response to environmental changes,” he added.
