Previously Unknown 76M-Year-Old, Raccoon-Sized Monstersaur Species Discovered in Utah
- Researchers published a study on June 17 describing Bolg amondol, a raccoon-sized extinct monstersaur from Utah's Late Cretaceous period.
- The species was recognized after fossils discovered in southern Utah two decades ago were carefully studied.
- Bolg coexisted with at least two other large predatory lizard species in a stable, subtropical ecosystem about 76 million years ago in southern Utah.
- Associate professor Randy Irmis highlighted that Bolg demonstrates how valuable natural history museum collections are for scientific research, emphasizing the fossil’s rarity and significance.
- This discovery suggests more large-bodied lizards inhabited Late Cretaceous North America, highlighting diverse prehistoric ecosystems and the importance of preserving public fossil lands.
32 Articles
32 Articles
76M Years Old Dinosaur-Era Lizard Discovered in Utah
Scientists have confirmed a new dinosaur-era lizard discovered in Utah, nearly two decades after it was excavated and placed in museum storage. Credit: GreekReporter Archive A newly identified dinosaur-era lizard species, estimated to be 76 million years old, has been discovered in Utah, offering rare insight into the state’s prehistoric ecosystem. The fossil, part of a specimen originally unearthed at Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument…


Ancient monstersaur had 'goblin-like' teeth and sheddable tail
The discovery of a prehistoric tail-shedding reptile reveals more about large lizard life and lineage during the Late Cretaceous Epoch
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