A new type of dinosaur has been discovered and named Pinocchio Rex. The dinosaur was nine meters long and had a large snout that protruded from its face.
The Pinocchio Rex skeleton was dug up at a construction site in China and identified by scientists at Edinburgh University, UK.
The Pinocchio Rex was a cousin of Tyrannosaurus Rex and scientists believe that the two likely lived during the same time and may have even hunted and competed with each other during the late Cretaceous Period.
The name of the dinosaur may seem friendly, but scientist believe it would have been an ultimate predator.
“It had the familiar toothy grin of T. rex, but its snout was long and slender, with a row of horns on top,” said Edinburgh’s Dr Steve Brusatte.
“It might have looked a little comical, but it would have been as deadly as any other tyrannosaur, and maybe even a little faster and stealthier.
“We thought it needed a nickname, and the long snout made us think of Pinocchio’s long nose.”
Like the Tyrannosaurus, Pinocchio Rex would have used his massive size and speed to catch prey. Once the dinosaur had singled out its next meal, it would have used its powerful jaws to kill it.
Scientists are excited about the discovery and are interested in learning more about the Pinocchio Rex. Its unique snout is puzzling to scientists and they are anxious to find out why it was so long and how the Pinocchio Rex used it to its advantage.
Other Pinocchio Rex skeletons have been found before, but confused scientists. Most of them were small but the recent discovery is a full grown dinosaur skeleton and will give scientists a new perspective on the dinosaur.
“It’s twice the size of the juveniles, and yet it still shows the same features – including the distinctive horns,” said Dr Brusatte.
“This is the slam dunk we needed: the long-snouted tyrannosaurs were real.”
What do you think of the Pinocchio Rex and what do you think he used that long nose for?
Images via Wikimedia Commons and YouTube
