A young dinosaur with a domed head is the oldest and most complete fossil of a pachycephalosaur found to date. (Photo: Masaya Hattori)
Paleontologists have discovered the oldest and most complete fossils of a domed-headed dinosaur to date in Mongolia's Gobi Desert.
Fossils dating back 108 to 115 million years push back the timeline of the appearance of domed-skulled dinosaurs, or pachycephalosaurs, by approximately 15 million years. The new fossils may also shed light on the evolution and development of these dinosaurs' bizarre, rounded skulls.
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Some scientists believe the thick skulls of pachycephalosaurs helped them attract mates and fend off rivals, while others suggest these oddballs didn't butt heads, but instead engaged in fistfights like kangaroos. But how their rounded skulls evolved remains a mystery. Most known pachycephalosaur fossils are incomplete, and scientists have not found many fossils from their early stages of development.
In a new study published Wednesday (September 17) in the journal Nature, a team of paleontologists reports a fossil that may hold some answers. In eastern Mongolia, the team discovered the fossilized remains of a domed-headed dinosaur from the Early Cretaceous Period (145–100 million years ago). They named the new species Zavacephalae rinpoche.
The fossil was discovered protruding from a rock in Mongolia.
The name “zavacephals” comes from the Tibetan word “zava,” meaning root or origin, and the Latin word “cephal,” meaning head. “Rinpoche” is the Tibetan word for “precious,” and was so named because the team discovered a skull protruding from the rock like a polished gemstone.
The fossil included about 54% of the dinosaur's bones, including the skull and the entire tail, as well as several arm and leg bones, and stomach stones that helped Z. rinpoche grind its food. In life, the dinosaur likely reached a length of about 1 meter (3.3 feet) and weighed about 5.85 kilograms (12.9 pounds).
“We date dinosaurs by studying growth rings on bones, but most pachycephalosaur skeletons are just isolated, fragmentary skulls,” Zanno said. “Z. rinpoche is an impressive find because it preserves limbs and a complete skull, allowing us for the first time to connect the stages of growth and dome development.”
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The head dome of Z. rinpoche was fully formed, but growth rings on the shin bone indicate the animal was young and still growing at the time of death. Since pachycephalosaurs likely used their head domes to attract females, this suggests the dinosaur reached sexual maturity before it was fully grown.
“If you need to jump into a relationship, it's a good idea to start rehearsing in advance,” Zanno said.
“This specimen is a unique discovery,” Zanno added. “Z. rinpoche gives us unprecedented insight into the anatomy and biology of pachycephalosaurs.”
Skyler Ware, Social Links Navigator, Live Science Contributor
Skyler Ware is a freelance science journalist covering chemistry, biology, paleontology, and earth sciences. She was a 2023 AAAS Fellow at Science News. Her work has also appeared in Science News Explores, ZME Science, and Chembites, among others. Skyler holds a PhD in chemistry from the California Institute of Technology.
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