English 
Spanish 
2 min read 
0 comments 
Discover Mexidracon Longimanus, a new dinosaur from Mexico with specific, long hands
A new species of dinosaur, Mexidracon longimanus, was discovered in Mexico, challenging previous knowledge about ornithomimosaur diversity.
This dinosaur, which belongs to the family Ornithomimidae, is notable for its longer-spec hands, with metacarpals (palm bones) longer than the metatarsals (leg bones).
The discovery was made in the Cerro del Pueblo Formation in Coahuila, Mexico, and promises to add valuable information to the history of dinosaurs.
- Surprising discovery: 15th-century ship challenges Viking myths about shipbuilding in Scandinavia
- The oldest company in the world still in operation was founded almost 1.500 years ago
- Elon Musk's Starlink Now Has Cheaper Plans For Casual Users
- Brazil receives strong investment in a sector often forgotten by most
What makes Mexidracon unique?
O Mexidracon longimanus stands out for its natural anatomical characteristics. The main one is the extreme elongation of the metacarpals, which are the bones responsible for the palm of the hand.
These bones are longer than the metatarsals, which indicates that their hands were much larger and thinner than expected for dinosaurs of their type. The palm, for example, was longer than the animal's own arm.
These ingenious hands may have a functional explanation. The researchers suggest that Mexidracon used its long hands to pull branches and bushes toward its mouth, much like tree sloths do today.
Additionally, it is also possible that these hands helped to capture prey in the water, such as fish, since dinosaurs inhabited coastal areas and estuaries, where the water was rich in marine life.
A discovery in a unique environment
O Mexidracon It was found in an estuary where marine mollusc fauna, such as oysters, was abundant.
The preservation of dinosaur remains indicates that it may have fed in coastal areas, exploiting marine resources.
This detail helps to better understand the ecosystem in which Mexidracon lived, in addition to showing the diversity of environments inhabited by dinosaurs during the Upper Cretaceous, around 73 million years ago.
Mexidracon and the evolution of ornithomimosaur dinosaurs
Ornithomimosaurs, such as Mexidracon, are known for their similarities to ostriches. These dinosaurs had small skulls, long necks, and elongated forelimbs, but no hunting claws, making them different from other carnivorous theropods.
The discovery of Mexidracon adds to the diversity of ornithomimosaurs found in southern Laramidia, a region that now encompasses parts of Mexico and the United States.
The study also suggests that this group of dinosaurs coexisted with deinocheirids, another clade of theropods with large variations in size.
