The researches discovered the new species in Alaska. The dinosaur was a variety of Hardrosaur, which was a duck-billed dino that roamed in herds, according to Pat Druckenmiller, the earth sciences curator at the University of Alaska Museum in Fairbanks.
North Alaska may have once been covered by forest in a warmer climate. Researchers said the dinosaur lived in darkness for months and it may have experienced snow. The description of the dino was published in Acta Palaeontolgica Polonica.
Fossils of the dinosaur were found in a rock deposited more than 60 million years ago.
For more than 20 years, the fossils were lumped in with Edmontosaurus, another Hardosaur, and the species is well-known in Canada, as well as parts of the United States. The formal study revealed that there were differences in mouth and skull features, and this means that the dinosaur is a different species. The dinosaurs were both juveniles and this is why the differences were not spotted immediately.
The creature has been given the name Ugrunaaluk kuukpikensis, which means ancient grazer.
Researchers believe that the dinosaur grew up to 30 feet long from nose to tail, and it had hundreds of teeth, which helped it chew tough vegetation.
There’s no evidence that the dino migrated for sunshine or warmth, and this is why researcher believe it may have adapted in order to survive the chilly climate.
