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Scientists Find Ancestor to Giant Dinosaurs

It's a link between smaller bipeds and huge quadripeds

By Nick McMaster,  Newser Staff

Posted Nov 12, 2009 7:23 PM CST

(Newser) – Paleontologists in South Africa have found a new dinosaur, a sort of missing link between smaller two-legged creatures that dined on plants and the long-necked carnivorous giants of Jurassic Park. The new species, aardonyx celestae, was 20 feet long and walked on two feet. But crucially, it was able to drop down on all fours easily, paving the way for the evolution of the full quadripeds.

The new guy had something else in common with the huge dinosaurs that would follow it: a vacuum cleaner for a mouth, National Geographic reports. Unlike other contemporary herbivores that had “cheeks” for storing food, aardonyx had a gaping mouth that allowed it to eat faster, allowing for the high food intake that would see it evolve into the biggest land animals the earth has even seen.

A cameraman and photographer record images of  fossilized bones  of  a new dinosaur species, Aardonyx Celestae, in Johannesburg, Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2009.
A cameraman and photographer record images of fossilized bones of a new dinosaur species, Aardonyx Celestae, in Johannesburg, Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2009.   (AP Photo/Denis Farrell)
Paleontologist Adam Yates, second left, displays fossilized bones  of  a new dinosaur species, Aardonyx Celestae, from the early Jurassic period (about 200 million years old) Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2009.
Paleontologist Adam Yates, second left, displays fossilized bones of a new dinosaur species, Aardonyx Celestae, from the early Jurassic period (about 200 million years old) Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2009.   (AP Photo/Denis Farrell)
Fossilized bones of  a new dinosaur species, aardonyx celestae.
Fossilized bones of a new dinosaur species, aardonyx celestae.   (AP Photo/Denis Farrell)
A drawing of the new species.
A drawing of the new species.   (AP Photo/Adam Yates, HO)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 11 comments
super_soft_wizard
Nov 13, 2009 9:01 AM CST
what part of "Satan" don't you understand?
Galileo
Nov 13, 2009 7:50 AM CST
You religious folks who reject evolution out there: what goes through your mind every time you read another story about more evidence that supports evolution and the story never mentioned "your side" ??
Snarfeh
Nov 13, 2009 7:16 AM CST
@ford - Aw, man...I can't because I didn't, BUT....swear to....god, brahma, buddha, jesus, isis, krishna, zeus, gaia, et al, that I *am* going to it one day...I will behave....as best I can....I know I'll giggle...

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