Discovering a New Dinosaur Species in Japan Sheds Light on Therizinosaur Claw Usage
Scientists from Japan, Mongolia, and the USA have re-examined dinosaur limb fragments found on Hokkaido Island, revealing insights into therizinosaur behavior and habitat.
Recent studies suggest that the impressive 50-centimeter claws of these dinosaurs were primarily used for peaceful purposes rather than aggressive actions.
Researchers from Japan, Mongolia, and the United States revisited limb fragments discovered in 2008 on Japan's Hokkaido Island and identified them as belonging to a previously unknown dinosaur species. Named Paralitherizinosaurus japonicus, this species is classified within the therizinosaurs—a group of theropod dinosaurs that roamed during the Late Cretaceous period, approximately 72 million years ago.
Published in Scientific Reports, the study includes a reconstruction of this dinosaur’s appearance and estimated size. The highlighted light areas in the silhouette represent the fossil fragments analyzed by the scientists.
This marks the third discovery of therizinosaur remains in Japan. Previously, a tooth was found on Honshu Island, and skull fragments, a tooth, and a shoulder bone were uncovered on Kyushu Island. The Paralitherizinosaurus japonicus specimen is the youngest therizinosaur discovered in Japan and the first to be retrieved from marine sediment deposits in Asia.
This finding implies that therizinosaurs inhabited the eastern Asian continent for a longer period than previously believed. Moreover, evidence suggests they adapted to coastal environments, contrasting earlier assumptions that they primarily lived in forested areas.
Comparative analysis of the newly found dinosaur’s bones with other samples revealed that the structure of therizinosaur limbs was unsuitable for using their long claws—up to 50 centimeters—for digging or climbing trees like modern sloths, as had been speculated.
Instead, it is most plausible that these bipedal herbivores used their claws to pull branches closer to their mouths, while more complex functions of the claws were unlikely.
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