Welsh Dragon: Wales' first carnivorous dinosaur goes on display at National Museum Wales

This article originally appeared on Culture24.

A Welsh Dragon, the first carnivorous dinosaur to be found in Wales, has gone on display in Cardiff

A new Welsh dinosaur, which palaeontologist believe to be the distant cousin of Tyrannosaurus Rex, has been discovered by two brothers investigating a rock fall in the Vale of Glamorgan.

Scientists believe the fossilised skeleton of the theropod dinosaur, which lived at the very earliest part of the Jurassic Period, 201 million years ago, is one the oldest Jurassic dinosaurs in the world.

The specimen has gone on display at National Museum Wales in Cardiff, after being donated to the museum by the brothers, Nick and Rob Hanigan, who say they want their “discovery of a lifetime” to be shared by “the public and scientists to see and research”.

The pair of fossil hunters made their discovery whilst exploring the Lavernock beach in the Vale of Glamorgan after storms in spring 2014.

Investigating a cliff fall on the beach, they spotted several loose blocks containing part of the skeleton of a small dinosaur and collected the specimen, including its razor sharp teeth, and claws.

Spread across five slabs of rock some of the bones were preserved together in the correct position, others had been scattered and separated by the actions of scavenging fish and sea-urchins. The specimen was preserved with the fossilised remains of these sea-urchins.

After contacting Cindy Howells, palaeontology curator for Amgueddfa Cymru, dinosaur experts from University of Portsmouth and the University of Manchester helped analyse the teeth and bones and established that this particular dinosaur was a meat-eating dinosaur, from the theropod group.

Research also suggested that it was a juvenile animal as some of its bones are not yet fully formed.

Palaeontologists believe the dinosaur was a small, slim, agile dinosaur, with a fuzzy coating of simple proto-feathers. It was probably only about 50cm tall and about 200cm long with a long tail to help it balance.

The tiny predator lived at the start of the Jurassic period, 201.3 million years ago, when south Wales was a coastal region with a warm climate.

At that time, the dinosaurs were just starting to diversify and the Welsh specimen is one of the earliest Jurassic individuals in the UK. It is also related to Coelophysis which lived approximately 203 to 196 million years ago in what is now the southwestern part of the United States of America.

The Welsh dinosaur’s small, blade-like, serrated teeth suggest that it would have eaten insects, small mammals and other reptiles.

Describing the new specimen as “a very special discovery”, David Anderson, Director General of Amgueddfa Cymru - National Museum Wales, thanked Nick and Rob Hanigan for their “incredibly generous” donation.

“We are delighted to have this specimen on display,” he added, “it gives visitors a unique opportunity to examine the fossilised skeleton of the first meat-eating dinosaur found in Wales, and one of the oldest Jurassic dinosaurs in the world.”

Research is still underway on the new find, with a scientific paper in progress which will reveal the name of the new species.

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Source: http://www.culture24.org.uk/science-and-nature/dinosaurs-and-fossils/art528420-welsh-dragon-wales-first-carnivorous-dinosaur--goes-on-display-in-cardiff