Complete Tiny Dinosaur Skeleton Discovered In South Korea

A tiny dinosaur
of about the size of a domestic cat was recently
discovered in South Korea. Does it mean that
dinosaurs are breeeding in North Korea?
The dinosaur's fossilized remains span
about 11 inches, but scientists told Korea
JoongAng Daily that it was likely about 20
inches long when it was alive.
"Based on the findings so far, we assume
that the dinosaur is something close to a
microraptor or others in the raptor genera,"
Lim Jong-deock, chief curator of the National
Research Institute of Cultural Heritage, told
the news agency. "However, it's uncertain at
this stage exactly which type of dinosaur it
was, and there is a chance that it is a new
type that hasn't been reported to academia
as of yet."
The tiny dino is a theropod, a family of
carnivorous dinosaurs that includes
Tyrannosaurus rex. That means it had sharp
teeth and claws–only a whole lot smaller.
And if it is indeed a microraptor, it would
also have had four wings.
The dinosaur lived during the Cretaceous
period, which ended some 66 million years
ago with the Cretaceous-Tertiary mass
extinction event. "The way this dinosaur has
been fossilized is unique in that it was
discovered with its vertebrae connected to
its ribs," the institute told the Korea Times.
The institute also said there may be another
fossilized dinosaur in the rock next to this
one. Whatever the dinosaur turns out to be,
it's the first complete dinosaur skeleton
found in South Korea, and among the
smallest dinosaur fossils ever found in the
country.

Posted By David Aniemeka