Dog-sized dinosaurs once roamed the earth

Canadian researchers have discovered fossils of dog-sized dinosaurs, suggesting the prehistoric reptiles came in a much wider range of sizes than once believed. From The Province:

A newly identified species of dome-headed dinosaur roughly the size of a large dog once roamed the plains of southern Alberta, a team of Canadian scientists announced Tuesday. The discovery of the Acrotholus audeti touched off further investigation that suggested the world’s dinosaur population was more diverse than once believed. Details of the study were published Tuesday in the journal Nature Communications. Study lead author David Evans, curator of vertebrate paleontology at the Royal Ontario Museum, said Acrotholus’ comparatively diminutive size belies its scientific importance. The two-legged plant-eater stood no higher than an adult human’s knee and weighed only 40 kilograms, measurements similar to a German shepherd or other large-breed canine.

Read the full article here. Image: Julius Csotonyi , THE CANADIAN PRESS