A duck-billed dinosaur with a truly massive honker has been discovered in Mexico. It was named Coahuilasaurus lipani, after the region where it was found and the Lipani Apache tribe that lives there. The dino, which lived 73 million years ago, had unique tooth-like projections on its bill that may have helped it consume tough plants like palm trees. These protrusions are similar to those found in other dinosaurs, but the sharp angle of Coahuilasaurus lipani’s snout and the location of these spikes were distinct from those of other species.
The fossil of C. lipani was first discovered in the 1980s by paleontologists who described it as another genus at that time. However, after re-examining the specimen with newer analysis techniques, researchers concluded that it belonged to a different genus altogether. Claudia Serrano, lead author of the study and paleontologist at Benemérita Escuela Normal de Coahuila, was part of the team that initially described the specimen in 2006 but decided to reclassify it after further examination.
The discovery adds to the growing list of dinosaurs unique to Mexico, which challenges the assumption that dinosaur species had wide-ranging territories. While large animals typically have large ranges, individual dinosaur species appear to have had relatively small ranges due to differences in climate, geographical barriers, or reproductive patterns.
Source: Live Science
