Argentine scientists have found the remains of a giant dinosaur, which was named Meraxes gigas, in the territory of modern Northern Patagonia.. The find could shed light on why this dinosaur and tyrannosaurs had such tiny forepaws, BBC reports..

The new dinosaur had a giant head but tiny " The body length of the animal reached 11 meters, the head - one meter, but the front paws - was only 60 centimeters. Scientists think it had an evolutionary advantage.

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The new species was named after the dragon Meraxes from the " Meraxes gigas belongs to a group of predominantly bipedal predatory carcharodontosaurus, similar to the famous tyrannosaurus T-rex precisely in these tiny forelimbs.. This led scientists to speculate that such an anatomical feature was common among carnivorous dinosaurs..

Carcharodontosaurus lived in the Cretaceous and died out along with all flightless dinosaurs. In a new study, scientists found an almost complete forelimb M. gigas, as well as part of the skull, femur and pelvis. The bones were very well preserved, because almost immediately after death, the remains of the dinosaur were under a layer of sedimentary rocks..

Even though M. gigas and tyrannosaurus rex had similar forelimbs, they were not related species. The similarity is explained by convergent evolution, when different species that lead a similar lifestyle develop similar features..

According to lead author Juan Canale of the Paleontological Museum Ernesto Bachmann, a possible explanation for the appearance of such small " rex forelimbs played an important role in hunting. Later, a large head with powerful jaws became a much more effective hunting tool, and the front legs gradually atrophied..

At the same time, these "

“I don’t think that they played any role in hunting - this function was mainly taken over by the head, but I think that they could well be useful for other purposes.. For example, to support the female during mating or as a support when the dinosaur needed to get up,” Canale said..

Scientists also note that the front legs of the dinosaur were half as long as its head, which means that the animal could not reach them to the mouth..

But the " gigas. His skull was richly decorated with ridges, furrows, bumps, and even miniature horns.. These signs usually appear in mature individuals, which may indicate that they played an important role in mating games..

Previously, scientists discovered the remains of a dinosaur that was probably the largest land predator ever to have lived in Europe.. Fossils have been found on the coast of England.