A Utah site frozen in Early Jurassic time recently yielded discoveries that include an enormous, previously unknown carnivorous dinosaur, a new shark species, at least three other new fish and three new trees.
Anatomical features and track marks linked to the dinosaur suggest it specialized in eating and catching fish, including sharks and huge bony fish that, when consumed, would have been "like biting through chain mail," Utah State paleontologist James Kirkland told Discovery News.
A cousin of the crested dino Dilophosaurus, these dinosaurs got up to 18-20 feet in length, 6-7 feet high at the hips, and weighed between 750-1,000 pounds. Long, sharp teeth at the front of the dinosaur's mouth helped to keep fish from flying out, while other, more slender teeth had "steak-knife serration" wear patterns between the tip and the gum line.
Link & Image: Discovery Channel
Tags: Dinosaur | Dilophosaurus
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