The Gualicho shinyae dinosaur appears to be a smaller T. rex with the same short arms. (Photo : Jorge González and Pablo Lara/Field Museum)
Until now, scientists are still quite unsure how the Tyrannosaurus rex possessed small, short arms however, these distinct, stubby arms were passed over to other subspecies, and even evolving with different versions.
Now, scientists discovered this new dinosaur species in Patagonia, Argentina which also possessed these recognizable arms and claws even if these dinosaurs were already very distant cousins of the T. rex.
This T.rex lookalike is known as the Gualicho shinyae which also belongs to the Therapoda suborder. These bird like dinosaurs that are also known as therapods, can be described having two legs and lighter bones and distinct feathers or plumage. Scientists reveal that there are several species that also had these small distinct arms.
This special dinosaur that is almost like the T. rex is discovered and named after the Chicago Field Museum's preparator, Akiko Shinya. Shinya explains that the Gualicho was also discovered during the end of the expedition where Shinya knew right away that it was something good.
Since the G. shinyae belongs to a different branch of the T. rex family tree, scientists now suggest that their arms have evolved separately.
This branch is also part for the Allosauridae family where the G. shinyae belongs to. This unique dinosaur appears to be a smaller carnivorous dinosaur with long legs, much similar to a dinosaur indigenous in Africa known as the Deltadromeus.
According to Peter Makovicky, who is a curator at Chicago's Field Museum, the Gualicho may appear as a mosaic dinosaur, since its features are also seen in different kinds of dinosaurs especially theropods. This dinosaur is really unusual he adds, as it is also different from other carnivorous dinosaurs that are recovered from the same rock formation, which is does not also clearly fit into any category.
This new study is published in the journal PLOS ONE.
