Palaeontology

New dinosaur had a keen sense of smell

By T.K. Randall
May 12, 2015 ·  9 comments

The new species was a close relative of the Velociraptor. Image Credit: CC BY-SA 3.0 Frank Vincentz University of Pennsylvania researcher Steven Jasinski made the discovery after a fossil skull fragment he was examining turned out to be from a previously unknown species.

A close relative of the Velociraptor, the new dinosaur has been named Saurornitholestes sullivani and is thought to have possessed an extremely keen sense of smell, an advantage that would have made it a highly effective predator."This feature means that Saurornitholestes sullivani had a relatively better sense of smell than other dromaeosaurid dinosaurs, including Velociraptor, Dromaeosaurus, and Bambiraptor," said Jasinski.

While at roughly 6ft in length this prehistoric meat-eater was not a particularly large dinosaur it would have been quick and agile, a lot like its counterparts in the movie 'Jurassic Park'.

Its keen sense of smell would have also made it very difficult for its prey to escape undetected.

Source: Eurekalert.org | Comments (9)

Tags: Dinosaur, Velociraptor