The results of the reconstruction from fossil fragments reveal a terrifying creature named Jakapil kaniukura, which roamed the land of Argentina approximately 94-97 million years ago.
According to The Guardian, Jakapil kaniukura is a member of the Thyreophora, also known as “armored dinosaurs”. Its body was covered in sharp, leaf-shaped armor plates. However, this monster was actually a gentle herbivore from the Cretaceous period.
Archaeologists excavating fossils – (Photo: REUTERS)
According to Sci-News, its fossil fragments were excavated from the Candeleros Formation in Río Negro, Northern Patagonia, Argentina, and studied by paleontologist Sebastián Apesteguía and his team at the Felix de Azara Natural History Museum at Maimonides University and the National Scientific and Technical Research Council of Argentina (CONICET).
This creature is related to several other “armored dinosaurs” that have been unearthed in the United States, Germany, and the United Kingdom.
The most notable feature of this new species is its two rather amusing “arms,” which at first glance make it seem like it has no limbs. These are just two tiny, very short fleshy appendages that are virtually useless, attached where the animal’s front limbs would typically be.
In contrast, this creature boasts a pair of strong legs and a lightweight, agile body: measuring up to 1.5 meters long but weighing only a few kilograms from head to tail.
Reconstruction image showing the appearance of two creatures in Argentina – (Photo: SCI-NEWS)
Like other armored dinosaurs, this creature had a relatively small brain compared to its body. This fascinating discovery in South America suggests that this lineage may have been more widespread than previously thought.
Armored dinosaurs originated around 200 million years ago and quickly spread across the globe. However, they rapidly declined during the Cretaceous period, and the newly discovered Jakapil kaniukura is one of the few species that survived beyond the 100 million-year mark.
This research was recently published in the scientific journal Scientific Reports.
