Discovery of new predatory dinosaur species gives new insight on their evolution
Jayc Sedlmayr, PhD, Assistant Professor of Cell Biology & Anatomy at LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans School of Medicine, was part of an international team of scientists who discovered a new tyrannosaur with an unusual mode of evolution. Their findings include that Daspletosaurus horneri, or "Horner's Frightful Lizard," evolved directly from its geologically older relative, D. torosus, a rare form of evolution called anagenesis where one species gradually morphs into a new one. The research also changes the face of tyrannosaurs, which the team concluded was covered by a lipless mask of large, flat scales, with smaller patches of armor-like skin and horn, as well as a highly touch-sensitive snout. The work is published online in Nature Research's Scientific Reports.