An unusual breed of dinosaur that was the size of a chicken, ran on two legs and scoured the ancient forest floor for termites is the smallest dinosaur species found in North America. The tiny dino was discovered during the excavation of an ancient bone bed near Red Deer, Alberta.
Albertonykus Borealis - Evidence of Migration to North America From Asia
Called Albertonykus borealis, the newly discovered creature is a member of the family Alvarezsauridae and is one of only a few such fossils found outside of South America and Asia. It is likely that North America’s smallest dinosaur specialized in consuming termites by using its small but powerful forelimbs to tear into logs.
“These are bizarre animals. They have long and slender legs, stumpy arms with huge claws and tweezer-like jaws. They look like an animal created by Dr. Seuss,” said Nick Longrich, a paleontology research associate in the Department of Biological Sciences. “This appears to be the smallest dinosaur yet discovered in North America.”
“This is the oldest and most complete dinosaur of its kind known from North America and it provides evidence that these dinosaurs migrated to Asia through North America,” he said.
Read the rest of the article at: Physorg.