paleontologist from University of New England A team of international researchers discovered The first navel found in dinosaur In a 125-million-year-old fossil.
Yes good It is common for wild animals to have navel scars For at least part of his life, until now No evidence of a navel has been found in any dinosaur. Phil Bell of the University of New England and an author of the study said.
Discovery first commitment dinosaur It was made on the skin of a 125 million-year-old fossilized dinosaur known as Psittacosaurusa distant cousin Triceratops.
” The Psittacosaurus It was a two-meter-tall, two-legged herb that lived in China during the Cretaceous period about 125 million years ago.” said Bell, who confirmed it “This revelation gives us insight into the life and appearance of the animal.”
“The specimen is an exquisitely preserved skeleton found lying on its back and completely covered in fossilized skin. The same specimen made headlines in 2021, when researchers revealed the appearance of the cloaca, the common opening to the genitals and digestive system, which it shares with birds and reptiles. . The specialist indicated.
The Navel It is the scar that remains after birth When cutting the umbilical cord. However, in reptiles and the birds Which hatch from eggs, there is no rope, said the bell, Which showed that inside the egg there is a yolk sac and other membranes that connect directly to the abdomen of the fetus.
This discovery was made possible because Bell and his colleagues were studying what he describes as “Our most important fossil for studying dinosaur skinThis required a new ‘high-tech’ approach that would allow them to discern the scales covering the umbilical scar or umbilicus.
The inset shows a close-up of the characteristic scales surrounding the umbilical scar, outlined in blue on the line graphic. | Photo: University of New England.
What is the shape of a tilted dinosaur?
According to experts, Unshape Secret Scarmammal from the navelIt occurs when the embryo separates from these membranes before leaving the egg. And this is exactly what paleontologists say they found in a dinosaur fossil.
unlike human navelThe Psittacosaurus It had a long scar on its stomach surrounded by distinctive scales that resembled some modern lizards and crocodiles.
Unlike humans too, Dinosaurs did not have an umbilical cord due to the fact that they laid eggs. Instead, the yolk sac was attached directly to the body through a slit-like opening like other egg-laying land animals; This is the opening that closes when the animal hatches, leaving the distinctive Secret scar.
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