February 16, 2024 at 12:51 am

Bajadasaurus Pronuspinax And Therizinosaurus Cheloniformis Are Two Dinosaurs That People Should Know More About

by Trisha Leigh

If you’ve ever been a kid, you’ve probably gone through a dinosaur stage. I don’t know if it’s their size, the fact that they existed before human beings, how they died, or some combination of all three (and more), but the pull is strong.

So I have to imagine that almost everyone is going to love learning about a super cool dino that might have escaped their notice.

We’re talking about Bajadasaurus pronuspinax, an herbivore with impressive defensive weapons around its neck.

Source: Schleich

It’s name means “downhill lizard,” and the weapons were meter-long neck spikes reminiscent of porcupine quills.

Discovered in 2019, the member of the Diplodocidae-related Dicraeosuridae family of sauropods, roamed Argentine Patagonia around 140 millions years ago.

They were really big, with long necks and tails, and are the only known subspecies that had spikes that appear to have pointed forward.

Source: Nature/Pablo A. Gallina, Sebastián Apesteguía, Juan I. Canale, Alejandro Haluza

Palaeontologists believe the long, thin spikes were there for defense while grazing. They were made of bone and likely keratin, like a rhino’s horn, which would have made them extremely hard to break.

They could have played other roles in the dinosaurs life as well, like keeping their body an optimal temperature or making them more attractive to potential mates.

While we’re on the topic, the Therizinosaurus cheloniformis is another weird and cool herbivorous therapod that had arms ending in giant claws.

Like scythes, really, and scientists cannot make them make sense.

Source: Wikimedia Commons

It lived in the Late Triassic and Cretaceous periods, 220 million to 66 million years ago. Experts believe it was 23-30 feet tall (about the same as a T. rex) but with an awkward body, long neck, short legs, and on.

Someone in the writer’s room of Jurassic World: Dominion is probably a fan, since there’s one in the new movie – though it wins a fight far above its weight class.

Source: Wikimedia Commons/Yuya Tamai

A recent study concluded the scythe-clawd were too flimsy for defense and were likely only there for showing off – either to predators or females.

If you’re the kind of person who gravitates toward the weirdo in the corner, one of these two dinosaurs should surely be vying for your favorite.

In fact, I don’t know how you could pick just one.

Thought that was fascinating? Here’s another story you might like: Why You’ll Never See A Great White Shark In An Aquarium