Wen 丨 Jiang Hong
Bagadarandron: An internet celebrity dinosaur with a "Kill Matt" hairstyle
At the beginning of 2019, a unique-looking dinosaur entered people's sight and quickly set off a boom, instantly becoming a "net red dinosaur" that no one knew and knew. Let's take a look at what is so peculiar about this newly named dinosaur that it can become a "net red" among dinosaurs.
<h3>"Kill Matt" hairstyle</h3>
Although there are not many fossils, it is enough to make this dinosaur the brightest of the stars. The museum reconstructs the fossils into a head and neck skeleton of equal proportions, as well as a restored model. It was this set of models that allowed everyone to witness the honor of this strange guy for the first time.
Photo note: Strange sauropod dinosaur, picture from the internet
Photo note: The head and neck of the magical sauropod are mounted on a fossil shelf, the picture is from the Internet
The most unique thing about it is the elongated neck and the spine-like sharp curvature of nerve spines forward. The official restoration illustrations and models also add a shell to these spines that resembles the horns of some antelope horns. It looks both mighty and incomparable. Such structures are very rare among sauropods, and the most similar dinosaurs are a petite member of the superfamily Diplodocus, Amargasaurus.
Illustration: Official restoration illustration, image from the web
Illustration: Amalgaron's skeleton, drawn by Scotthartman
Having said all that, it is time to report its name. This skeletal surprise dinosaur was named Bajadasaurus pronuspinax. The "Bajada" in the genus name means "downhill" in Spanish and is taken from Bajada Colorada, where the fossil was found. The species name is taken from the Latin words "pronus" (meaning "forward bending") and "spinax" (meaning "spine"), which refers to the nerve spines that bend forward.
Note: Barbagada, where the fossil was found, InColora. Image from the web
Podron with its namer, Argentine paleontologist Pablo Gallin. Image from the web
The fossils of Bhagadaurus come from Patagonia, known as the "Land of the Dragons". As early as 2010, Argentina's National Council for Scientific and Technological Research excavated fossils of Bhagadaurus. Due to special geological reasons, the fossils in the area are very susceptible to environmental influences, so it is impossible to use traditional methods to excavate gradually, only to wrap the rock containing the fossils with plaster, send them to the laboratory and then slowly clean them up. Only one specimen has been found in Bagadarosaurus, including an incomplete skull and a fifth cervical vertebrae.
Note: The location of the discovery of bagadarosaurus and the fossil parts found, pictured from the paper
<h2>Small and strange</h2>
Both Podosaurus and Amagalosaurus belong to the Dicraeosauridae family, a smaller group of lepidosaurs known to be no more than 15 meters long. Among sauropods, it can only be regarded as moderately small. Taking the body proportions of Amagaron as a reference, it can be roughly inferred that the body length of bagaurus is about 9 meters, which can really be described as mini in the sauropods lined with dragons.
Illustration: Comparison of the body size of the Bagadarosaurus (small) and the Amalgalong (large), the picture was made by RAX
Illustration: Restoration of the Bhagadaurus and comparison with the human body type. Cisiopurple draws
In addition to their petite size, their necks were also short, which is very unusual among sauropods known for their long necks. Their short stature allowed them to feed mainly on ground or low plants, forming a different ecological position from those of long-necked, sauropods that ate tall plants.
Illustration: Reconstruction of the head and neck bones of the Bagadarandosaurus, picture from the paper
Illustration: Known part of the skull of a Burgada dragon, picture from the paper
Podosaurus has the most complete fossil skull of the family Diplodocus to date. Except for the fossils in the middle of the skull, the rest of the skull is basically preserved. The skull structure is very light, the orbit is large, unlike most sauropods with eyes on both sides, the orbit of baga daurus even has a part of the orbit extended to the top of the head, which allows them to see things in front of them when they eat with their heads down, forming a three-dimensional vision to a certain extent, which can better predict threats.
Note: Close-up of the skull of a Bhagadad dragon, picture from the internet
<h2>Weird "hairstyle" features</h2>
One of the biggest features of the Lepidontidae superfamily is the nerve spine of the cervical fork, and the cervical spine of the Bagadaranth still forms two forks. The neck spines of the same family of forks and short-necked Panlong are also tilted forward, but the length is far less than the size of the Podosaurus, and only the Amalgaron can match it, but the Amalgaron cervical nerve spines are tilted in the opposite direction to the Barbagadaurus.
Image note: The skeleton of a forked dragon, picture from the network
The speculations of Amalgalong and its cervical nerve spine function have different perspectives on heat dissipation, defense, and display communication. Amalgalong forms a closed space of air sacs between the two nerve spines, which is part of the respiratory and circulatory system. According to the preservation of fossil imprints, Amalgalong's nerve spines are covered with a layer of cuticles.
Illustration: A cross-section of Amalgalong's neck, picture from the internet
The study of Amalgalong helps us to understand the structure of bagalong. The nerve spines in the neck of the Bagadarann are very slender, and when subjected to external forces (such as fighting and attacking), they may cause nerve spines to break and may even damage the cervical spine. Therefore, bagadarons needed some means to protect their fragile nerve spines.
Illustration: Cervical vertebrae of a Bagadaran dragon, picture from the paper
It can be speculated that the nerve spines of the Bagadarandron are also wrapped in a layer of cuticle shell. When we reconstructed Amagarron, we did not greatly extend the length of this shell, but the mummy fossil of Borealopelta found the previous year showed that the shell of its spines was 25% longer than its basal dry bone core, while the horn length of some modern bovines can reach 150% or even longer of its horn bones. Therefore, the shell of the Bagadaran dragon may also grow much longer than the internal bone, which not only effectively protects the fragile nerve spines, but also strengthens the strength of the nerve spines, even if the shell is damaged, it will not hurt the internal bones.
Figure note: Horn internal structure of bovines, picture from the network
The fossil neck preserves only the fifth cervical vertebrae, but in view of the growing trend of the Amalgalong nerve spines, the length of the nerve spines behind the neck of the Podosaurus may increase. Scholars believe that this structure can protect their own necks and can also give back to predators. In fact, the structure of the plant-eating horns is more often used as a tool for intra-clan struggles or displays, and the defense against predators is only its subsidiary function.
The Bagadaran lived between 132 and 140 million years ago, nearly 15 million years before its close relative Amalgalong, proving that this defense is very ancient, but it is still practical and has been used by future generations.
Although the fossils of Bhagadaurus are limited, more evidence is needed to fully understand them, but this fossil alone is enough to make it famous in the circle, but it is conceivable that becoming an Internet celebrity is based on its extraordinary strength rather than a hypocrite rhetoric. The beginning of 2019 has given us such amazing dinosaurs, and we look forward to more amazing species that make us feel bright during the year!
Resources:
1.Yong, Ed (2019-02-05). "This Dinosaur Had a Mohawk of Horns". The Atlantic. Retrieved 2019-02-09.
2.Gallina, P.A.; Apesteguía, S.; Canale, J.I.; Haluza, A. (2019). "A new long-spined dinosaur from Patagonia sheds light on sauropod defense system". Scientific Reports. 9 (1): 1392. Bibcode:2019NatSR... 9.1392G. doi:10.1038/s41598-018-37943-3. PMC 6362061. PMID 30718633.
3.Hallett, M.; Wedel, M. (2016). The Sauropod Dinosaurs: Life in the Age of Giants. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 45. ISBN 978-1421420288.
Image / Network (Intrusion and Deletion)
Text / Jiang's Little Thief Dragon (Jiang Hong)
Typography / Jiang's Little Thief Dragon
Published on 2019-03-22