New dinosaur fossil reveals secrets of ancient pachycephalosaurs
Technology
A nearly complete dinosaur fossil found in Mongolia has turned back the clock on dome-headed pachycephalosaurs by 15 million years.
Named Zavacephale rinpoche, this three-foot-long juvenile lived around 108 million years ago and gives scientists a fresh look at how these dinosaurs evolved.
Fossil shows dinosaurs may have been omnivores
This fossil is the first of its kind to show hand bones and a special tail structure in an early pachycephalosaur.
Even cooler, stones found in its stomach support the idea that it may have eaten both plants and animals—not just leaves like many thought.
Its well-preserved skull dome also helps researchers rethink how and why these dinosaurs developed their famous headgear, possibly changing what we know about their behavior and social lives.