A New Alaskan Dinosaur

Published: 23rd Sep 2015

Researchers have discovered a new type of iinosaur that is peculiar to Alaska. It was a type of duck-billed hadrosaur and grew up to 9.2 metres long. The dinosaur, which is similar to Edmontosaurus in many ways, has been called Ugrunaaluk kuukpikensis (pronounced oo-GROO'-nah-luk KOOK'-pik-en-sis) in the native Eskimo language. The name means 'ancient grazer'.

It is probable that these dinosaurs lived in darkness for some months each year and may well have experienced snow as well. They lived in the Cretaceous period some 69 million years ago towards the end of the dinosaur reign. They were vegetarian and had batteries of teeth to chew the course plants. Like most hadrosaurs they predominantly walked on their hind legs although they could also use all four legs.