Measuring 6 meters in length and sporting a unique asymmetrical armor, the creature from North Africa represents a completely new species belonging to the Stegosaur family.
According to Sci-News, this new beast has been uncovered in the Middle Atlas mountain range, south of Fès, Morocco. It has been named Thyreosaurus atlasicus, a member of the armored dinosaur family Stegosaur.
A partial skeleton of Thyreosaurus atlasicus was found in the gray rocks of the El Mers III formation near the town of Boulemane, an area rich in fossil discoveries.
Armored beast Thyreosaurus atlasicus – (Graphic: SCI-NEWS).
Dr. Mostafa Oukassou from Hassan II University of Casablanca (Morocco) and his team dated the specimen to about 165 million years ago, placing it in the Middle Jurassic period.
“In 2021, during a geological mapping mission south of Boulemane, we discovered a new site containing numerous dinosaur remains in the El Mers III formation,” the authors recount.
This site is named Boulahfa North, located north of the Boulahfa quarry.
The gigantic fossil of this creature was collected over several consecutive field trips, including vertebrae, ribs, limb bones, and the unique armor.
Thyreosaurus atlasicus features an extraordinary asymmetrical armor that is unlike any other species of Stegosaur.
This armor is up to 4 cm thick, with flat oval to rectangular plates.
The surfaces on either side of the armor are asymmetrical. One side contains many small holes and fine grooves, while the other side displays a distinct lattice pattern. This is a complete departure from what has been observed in other armored dinosaur species.
The bone structure of this armor resembles the tail spikes of related dinosaur species.
Additionally, the armor is arranged horizontally along the body of the creature, rather than vertically as seen in other Stegosaurs.
The Thyreosaurus atlasicus is an adult individual but has not reached its maximum size, yet it already measures up to 6 meters.
With its unique characteristics, this beast from Morocco is a crucial piece in studying the evolutionary history of armored dinosaurs.
