A novel dinosaur species has been unearthed in South Korea, bestowed with the distinctive nomenclature Doolysaurus huhmini. This name pays homage to Dooly, a beloved animated character in the nation—a little green dinosaur familiar to multiple generations. The findings of this research were documented in the journal Fossil Record.
The fossilized remains were discovered on Aphae Island. This marks the first significant discovery pertaining to these ancient behemoths to emerge in fifteen years. Furthermore, fragments of the dinosaur’s skull represent the initial such find within South Korea’s borders.
Dooly holds iconic status within Korean animation, serving as a unifying figure across generations in the country. Given that the discovered specimen was also a juvenile, experts from the University of Texas Jackson School of Geosciences deemed the name perfectly suitable.
At the time of its demise, the young creature was estimated to be about two years old, and its size was comparable to that of a turkey. Scientists hypothesize that adult individuals could have attained twice this size. Evidently, the animal’s body was likely adorned with soft, filamentous structures akin to down feathers.
The species has been classified within the Thescelosauridae family, a group of bipedal dinosaurs that roamed Asia and North America during the Cretaceous period, approximately 113 to 94 million years ago. Within the fossilized remains, gastroliths—small stones ingested by dinosaurs to aid digestion—were also located. This inclusion suggests an omnivorous diet encompassing both vegetation and small prey.
The skeleton has been remarkably well-preserved, enabling researchers to perform a CT scan. The authors of the study indicated that further exploratory work is planned.
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