Paleontologists have discovered a new giant predatory dinosaur that had tiny, tiny arms.
Discovered in northern Patagonia, Argentina, Meraxes Gigas roamed the Earth millions of years before Tyrannosaurus rex. But Juan Canal, project leader at the Ernesto Bachmann Museum of Fossils in Neuquén, Argentina, tells CNN that Meraxes is not directly related to T. Rex.
Image credit: Carlos Papulio
After recovering the almost complete forelimb, paleontologists determined that Meraxes had much smaller arms compared to the size of the rest of the body. Similar to a very famous predatory dinosaur we all know and love from the movies.
Although many fossils have been discovered, details of Meraxes’ anatomy have eluded scientists for nearly 30 years. A fossil recently discovered by researchers revealed more about this animal, including that it was 36 feet long and weighed more than four tons.
The predators belong to the Carcharodontosaurid, a group of dinosaurs that inhabited most of the continents during the early Cretaceous period.
While paleontologists continue to study the new bones to get a deeper look at Meraxes, it has been given an apt name for the time being.
according to Current Biology Journal, Meraxes is named after a dragon in A Song of Ice and Fire that plagues Queen Rhaenys Targaryen, which is set to appear in the upcoming series House of the Dragon.
Michelle Galbert is a social coordinator and freelance contributor to IGN.