SURABAYA ( LENTERA ) – A species of spiny dinosaur has been discovered by paleontologists. Most dinosaurs had scales, some were also covered with bony plates for protection, and some had feathers.
This species is found in northeastern China. This new species was named Haolong dongi. which means “thorny dragon”. Haolong looked like he was wearing a furry coat made from porcupine skin.
The spines were located around the neck, back and sides of the body, parallel to each other, and pointing towards the back of the dinosaur. These spines are small, around 2 to 3 millimeters long, but there are also those measuring 5 to 7 millimeters, but there are also those that are larger, namely 44 millimeters.
The Haolong species is known from only one specimen. The skeleton is almost complete, measuring 2.45 meters or 8 feet long, with very well-preserved skin. When these bones were found, it showed that this species died when it was young.
Scientists cannot be sure whether the spines are also a characteristic feature of adult Haolongs or whether they fall off on their own as they grow older. At first glance, the spines are very similar to the feathers of other ancient dinosaurs. But scientists show that these feathers existed before Haolong appeared, namely around 125 million years ago.
According to scientists, these spines help to keep the animal’s body warm, because this species lives in relatively cold climates.
Scientists suspect that a possible explanation is that the spines are there to ward off predators. The area where Haolong lived was surrounded by relatively small carnivorous animals, so his defense system could have evolved to deal with this pressure.
The Haolong’s spines are not strong enough to injure, let alone kill an attacking predator, but they are annoying enough to make almost any other animal seem like more attractive prey.
“These defenses did not necessarily provide impenetrable protection against theropod teeth and claws, but they made prey more difficult and time-consuming to kill and digest, and ultimately reduced the likelihood of successful digestion,” the researchers said. (Masykurotul_UINSA student contributed to this article)
