The original king of dinosaurs! A newly discovered predator with shark-like teeth predated T.Rex by 7 million years, and was even more terrifying, according to the study.
- Scientists discovered the fossilized remains of the dinosaur in Uzbekistan
- They estimate it reached 26 feet long and weighed more than a ton
- He lived in Asia 90 million years ago, seven million before T.Rex emerged
T.Rex is often known as the “king of dinosaurs,” but new research suggests an even more fearsome predator ruled the plains of Central Asia 90 million years ago.
Experts at Nagoya University in Japan have discovered the remains of a giant dinosaur in Uzbekistan, which they say was one of the most powerful killers in history.
The dinosaur, christened Ulughbegsaurus uzbekistanensis, reached a length of 26 feet and weighed more than a ton.
The terrifying creature also had leaf-like teeth that measured up to six inches long, similar to that of a white shark.
An analysis suggests that Ulughbegsaurus lived at least 90 million years ago, seven million years before T.Rex emerged about 83 million years ago.
Experts from Nagoya University in Japan have discovered the remains of a giant dinosaur in Uzbekistan, which they say was one of the most powerful killers ever (artist’s impression)
Dr Kohei Tanaka, who led the study, said: “Ulughbegsaurus was 8 meters long and weighed more than a tonne, depending on the size of the jaw bone.
“The skull would have measured about a meter (3 feet 3 inches). It had sharp teeth like a knife and was a meat eater.
It belonged to a group known as Carcharodontosaurs, or “shark-toothed dinosaurs.”
Dr Tanaka added: “It looked a lot like Neovenator, which was actually discovered in the UK.”
Neovenator’s fossilized bones, meaning “new hunter,” were discovered on the Isle of Wight, known as Dinosaur Island.
Ulughbegsaurus was identified by its left jaw bone and teeth buried in the rocks in a donosaurus cemetery known as the Bissekty Formation.
It is cultivated in the Kyzylkum Desert and has yielded a large number of exquisitely preserved prehistoric vertebrates.
The frightened animal inhabited a coastal plain at the westernmost point of the Asian mass when the continents of the Earth were still close.
Dr Tanaka said: “Several groups have been collected, including plants that eat duck-billed and horned dinosaurs, ankylosaurs and huge sauropods – and several small carnivorous dinosaurs.”
‘Ulughbegsaurus, as the apex predator of the ecosystem, hunted these dinosaurs.
‘The Bissekty formation also includes other animals such as various birds, pterosaurs and mammals. It must have been a fabulously rich setting.
Carcarodontosaurs are even known to have fought among themselves, sometimes to death.
Ulughbegsaurus was identified by his left jaw bone and teeth buried in the rocks in a donosaurus cemetery known as the Bissekty Formation.
An analysis of the dinosaur’s jaw suggests that it had leaf-like teeth measuring up to six inches long, similar to that of a white shark.
Fossils of the face and head have been found in the fossil record, including punctures of teeth and gouges.
They were almost certainly inflicted during territorial battles, just as animals claim rights today.
Dr. Tanaka added: “Ulughbegsaurus represents a hitherto unknown apex predator and the first Late Cretaceous carcodontosaur in Central Asia.
“The discovery also provides evidence of the coexistence of carcarontontosaurs and tyrannosaurs in the region at that time.
“The first were the dominant predators on the smaller tyrannosaurs that grew larger later in the Cretaceous and included T Rex.”
Ulughbegsaurus, described in the Royal Society Open Science, illuminates a peculiar moment in history when the world was warm and humid and covered with shallow seas.
It may have evolved because the oceans split the earth and caused different groups of dinosaurs in different places.
The phenomenon has implications for current global warming, as it shows how life can react to changes in temperature and sea level.
KILLING DINOSAURS: HOW A CITY-SIZED ASTEROID DELETES 75 PERCENT OF ALL ANIMAL AND PLANT SPECIES
About 66 million years ago, non-avian dinosaurs became extinct and more than half of the world’s species were destroyed.
This mass extinction paved the way for the rise of mammals and the appearance of humans.
The asteroid Chicxulub is often cited as a potential cause of Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction.
The asteroid crashed into a shallow sea in present-day Gulf of Mexico.
The collision released a huge cloud of dust and soot that triggered global climate change and wiped out 75% of all animal and plant species.
Researchers say the soot needed for a global catastrophe could only come from a direct impact on shallow-water rocks around Mexico, especially rich in hydrocarbons.
Ten hours after the impact, a massive tsunami hit the Gulf Coast, according to experts.
About 66 million years ago, non-avian dinosaurs became extinct and more than half of the world’s species were destroyed. The asteroid Chicxulub is often cited as a potential cause of Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction (stock image)
This caused earthquakes and landslides in areas as far as Argentina.
While investigating the event, investigators found small particles of rock and other debris that were fired into the air when the asteroid crashed.
These small particles called spherules covered the planet with a thick layer of soot.
Experts explain that losing sunlight caused a complete collapse of the aquatic system.
This is because the phytoplankton base of almost all aquatic food chains would have been removed.
The more than 180 million years of evolution that brought the world to the point of the Cretaceous are believed to have been destroyed in less than the life of a Tyrannosaurus rex, which is about 20 to 30 years old.