Archaeologists have just made a ground breaking dinosaur discovery in Alaska. Fossils belonging to a previously unknown species of duck-billed dinosaur may revolutionize the way scientists and researchers view dinosaur physiology says a report published by the Associated Press.
Researchers have named the creature Ugrunaaluk kuukpikensis (oo-GROO'-nah-luk KOOK'-pik-en-sis). The name was chosen by scientists with assistance from speakers of Inupiaq, the language of Alaska Inupiat Eskimos. Translated to English it stands for, 'Ancient Grazer.'
The fossils were found in the Colville River in a geological formation in northern Alaska known as the Prince Creek Formation.
According to the report, the newly discovered dinosaurs were herbivorous creatures that grew up to 30 feet long. Ugrunaaluk kuukpikensis is the fourth species found that is native to Alaskan wilderness. The find helps shed some light on dinosaur life in colder climates.
Greg Erickson a biological science professor at Florida State University says of these arctic dinosaurs:
"The finding of dinosaurs this far north challenges everything we thought about a dinosaur's physiology. It creates this natural question. How did they survive up here?"
Patrick Druckenmiller, earth sciences curator of the University Of Alaska Museum of the North and associate professor of geology at the University of Alaska Fairbanks says:
"This new study names and brings to life what is now the most completely known species of dinosaur from the Polar Regions."
"Because many of the bones from our Alaskan species were from younger individuals, a challenge of this study was figuring out if the differences with other hadrosaurs was just because they were young, or if they were really a different species," Druckenmiller said. "Fortunately, we also had bones from older animals that helped us realize Ugrunaaluk was a totally new animal."
More details on the discovery are detailed in the upcoming issue of paleontology journal Acta Palenaeontogica Polonica.
