A scary SPECIES of dinosaur that roamed the planet 155 million years ago has been unveiled by scientists.
The carnivorous Allosaurus jimmadseni weighed 4,000 pounds and was about 26 to 29 feet long, according to researchers.
The discovery of a new dinosaur species, the Allosaurus jimmadseni, was unveiled todayCredit: Natural History Museum of Utah
An illustration of prehistoric creatures roaming the planetCredit: PA:Press Association
The top predator in its ecosystem, the dinosaur had long legs, long arms and three sharp claws.
The findings come 30 years after the bones of the new species were found in Utah. A skull was found six years later.
The eye-popping details were released in a study published today in the science journal PeerJ.
“Recognizing a new species of dinosaur in rocks that have been intensely investigated for over 150 years is an outstanding experience of discovery,” said Daniel Chure, co-lead author of the study, according to the Salt Lake Tribune.
The new species was named after James Madsen Jr.Credit: SWNS:South West News Service
The immense discovery was announced today at a museum in UtahCredit: Natural History Museum of Utah
“Allosaurus jimmadseni is a great example of just how much more we have to learn about the world of dinosaurs.”
The dinosaur was named after paleontologist James Madsen Jr., who died in 2009.
The study differentiates the new species from Allosaurus fragilis and Allosaurus europeaus, but notes that previously named species of Allosaurus are “invalid.”
The fragilis and jimmadseni species terrorized North America, while europaeus roamed Europe.
Lateral view of the skull of the new speciesCredit: PeerJ — the Journal of Life and Environmental Sciences
An illustration of the head of the new speciesCredit: Twitter
“We’re starting to understand this animal — Allosaurus fragilis — it’s one of the five iconic dinosaurs,” said Mark Loewen of the Natural History Museum of Utah, according to KSL.
“Every plastic bag of toy dinosaurs you get has this animal in it.”
He added that “this new dinosaur lived before it … we’re actually looking at changes in the ecosystem as this ecosystem turns into a (another) ecosystem — the iconic one we think about.”
Scientists concluded that their were two species in North America after examining thousands of fossils.
“It just, ultimately, took a very long time,” said Chure, according to KSL.
“But we were trying to be very thorough and give a very detailed description — not a cursory one that would establish the name but not really be of a lot of use for other researchers who are studying meat-eating dinosaurs.”
Chure added that naming the new species after Madsen, an expert of the Allosaurus, was a “no-brainer.”