Dinosaur Discovered In Argentina Is Named After ‘Game Of Thrones’ Dragon

Carnivorous dinosaurs with tiny arms, like the Tyrannosaurus rex, might be a little more frequent amid huge hunting dinosaurs than originally assumed, according to a newly discovered type of meat-eating dinosaur.

The recently discovered creature has been given the title Meraxes gigas, just after the dragon of the same name that appears in the fantasy literature book “A Song of Ice and Fire,” written by George R.R. Martin and serving as the basis for the television show “Game of Thrones.” The Carcharodontosauridae were a family of theropod dinosaurs that included Meraxes.

This species existed throughout the Cretaceous epoch (approximately 145 million – 66 million years back) but perished before the mass calamity that wiped out all non-avian creatures and brought a conclusion to the Cretaceous.

It was found in pristine shape in the Huincul Formation located in north Patagonia, Argentina, by researchers who unearthed it. The remains are considered to be approximately 90 million to 100 million years of age and were identified in the earliest Cretaceous period. There were 4 sauropod dinosaurs found in this rock stratum as well as the remains of a near-complete upper extremity, as well as the head, femur, and pelvic bone.

The researchers believe that the dinosaur’s bones were quickly buried by materials brought by water flowing, which prevented decomposition. Convergent evolution occurs when genetically distinct animals have identical characteristics, like as the wimpy-looking frontal limbs of Meraxes but also T. rex, Canale explained.

Carnivorous relatives of theropods with smaller forelimbs show that numerous lineages of giant predatory theropods developed to fit a particular environmental niche.

Some of Meraxes’ arm bones include features that show its short arms had rather big muscles. Researchers believe these limbs were not wholly worthless, despite their small size.