Earth’s past lies safe, buried deep in the core even if our future on ground remains threatened by gross misuse of the planet. And fossils remain the key to understanding the evolution of species.
Now palaeontologists in Chile have stumbled across a remarkable finding. Arousing curiosity across the scientific world, this bizarre fossil brings to light a unique dinosaur species which had a “tail to kill.” Named Stegouros Elengassen, this armoured Dinosaur’s tail, almost like an Aztec sword, replicates the stuff Transformers are made of.
A stalky body with spikes down the spine, small but stealth hands and a huge sway of a tail to wipe off opponents! Bony outgrowths or osteoderms covered the back and sides of the beast. The tail is also unique for being the shortest among any known armoured dinosaurs. It displayed seven pairs of frond-like structures — unlike others with paired spikes or clubs on their tails.
It is estimated that this species roamed the Earth during the late Cretaceous period — between 71.7 million and 74.9 million years ago. A mere 6.5 feet long, the new find was a herbivore. The deadly tail was more to ward off its predators.
So how did researchers coin the name? Well, stegouros comes from Greek, where stego means roof and uros translates to tail. Elengassen (the species name) derives from an armoured beast in the Aónik’enk mythology.
Palaeontologists identified the fossil as an ankylosaur from its tail. This breed was notorious for its deadly armoured tails and abounded parts of sub-Antarctic Chile. In 2018, scientists came across a well preserved skeleton —nearly 80 intact— from Patagonia, the southernmost region of Chile. So far, only two such dinosaur fossils have been discovered.
This region, which corresponds to the then southern Gondwana, remains a mystery. Trailing the fossil might lead discovery teams to a better understanding of the breaking of the landmass, Pangaea. Studies are also lined up to delve deep into the subsequent impact that the landmass break had on climate patterns and species. Since these secrets are from the Jurassic period some 201.3 million to 145 million years ago, time and intense research are the only tools to unravel the mystery of the Stegouros Elengassen.
