Gigantic Relative of T. Rex, Yutyrannus Huali, Is Largest Known

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Gigantic Relative Of T. Rex, Yutyrannus Huali, Is Largest Known Feathered Dinosaur - April 09, 2012 Asian Scientist Magazine | Science, Technology and Medicine News Updates From Asia - http://www.asianscientist.com

Gigantic Relative Of T. Rex, Yutyrannus Huali, Is Largest Known Feathered Dinosaur

April 09, 2012 http://www.asianscientist.com/2012/04/in-the-lab/relative-t-rex-largest-feathered-dinosaur-yutyrannus- huali-2012-2/

AsianScientist (Apr. 9, 2012) - Chinese and Canadian paleontologists have discovered three specimens of a new tyrannosauroid from Northeastern China that had bird-like feathers.

The name of the new species, Yutyrannus huali, means "beautiful feathered tyrant" in a combination of Latin and Mandarin. The specimens were collected from a single quarry in Cretaceous beds in Liaoning Province, and are described in the journal Nature.

"Yutyrannus dramatically increases the size range of dinosaurs for which we have definite evidence of feathers," said lead author Professor Xu Xing of Beijing’s Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology.

"It’s possible that feathers were much more widespread, at least among the meat-eating dinosaurs, than most scientists would have guessed even a few years ago."

For more than a decade, it was known that some small dinosaurs had bird-like feathers, thanks to beautifully preserved fossils from northeastern China. The new specimen however, is much larger than previous finds.

The researchers estimate that an adult Yutyrannus would have been about 9 meters long and weighed about 1400 kg, making it considerably smaller than its infamous relative Tyrannosaurus rex but some 40 times the weight of the largest previously known feathered dinosaur, Beipiaosaurus.

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The large size of Yutyrannus and the downy structure of its feathers would have made flight impossible, but the feathers may have had another important function – insulation.

While the Cretaceous Period was generally very warm, Yutyrannus lived during the middle part of the Early Cretaceous, when temperatures are thought to have been somewhat cooler.

"The idea that primitive feathers could have been for insulation rather than flight has been around for a long time," said Dr. Corwin Sullivan, a Canadian paleontologist involved in the study.

"However, large-bodied animals typically can retain heat quite easily, and actually have more of a potential problem with overheating. That makes Yutyrannus, which is large and downright shaggy, a bit of a surprise."

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The article can be found at: Xu X et al. (2012) A gigantic feathered dinosaur from the Lower Cretaceous of China.

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Source: Chinese Academy of Sciences; Photo illustration: Dr. Brian Choo/CAS. Disclaimer: This article does not necessarily reflect the views of AsianScientist or its staff.

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