Kulindadromeus zabaikalicus looks like a cross between a bird and a reptile.
A new dinosaur species discovered in 2013 in Siberia that was preserved in volcanic ash, leading to the preservation of some skin, scaled tails, and feathers has been reconstructed and it looks like a cross between a bird and a reptile. The dinosaur, which was about one meter in length with a height of about 0.6 meter, was found in Kulinda, known as a dinosaur graveyard on the banks of the Olov River.
The researchers told the Siberian Times that although evidence of feathers were discovered on the dinosaur, named Kulindadromeus zabaikalicus, they don’t believe the feathers were used for flight, but rather were used to keep warm.
“I was really amazed when I saw this. We knew that some of the plant-eating ornithischian dinosaurs had simple bristles, and we couldn't be sure whether these were the same kinds of structures as bird and theropod feathers. Our new find clinches it: all dinosaurs had feathers, or at least the potential to sprout feathers, Dr. Pascal Godefroit, of the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences told the Siberian Times.
“The fact that feathers have now been discovered in two distinct groups, theropods in China and ornithischians in Russia, means that the common ancestor of these species which might have existed 220 million years ago also probably had feathers.”
Kulindadromeus zabaikalicus lived about 150 million years ago and had a short snout, long hind legs, short arms and five fingers attached to its hands, the researchers said, and had reptile-like scales on its tails and shins.
