An 80-million-year-old dinosaur tail fossil discovered on Denman Island, British Columbia, offers the most definitive evidence yet that ostrich-like dinosaurs once roamed North America's Pacific coastline. The fossil, an isolated caudal vertebra, was identified as belonging to an indeterminate ornithomimosaur, a fast-running, bird-like theropod dinosaur from the Cretaceous period.
Discovery and Analysis
Researchers utilized CT scans to create a detailed 3D model of the fossil, comparing it to complete ornithomimosaur and tyrannosaur skeletons to confirm its classification. The analysis revealed that the bone belonged to a type of dinosaur that lived between 145 and 66 million years ago. Ornithomimosaurs resembled modern-day ostriches, with small heads, slender bodies, toothless beaks, and long legs and necks.
Uncertain Origins
The precise manner in which the bone came to be deposited on the Canadian island remains unknown. Scientists have proposed several theories, including that the carcass floated to the site, that wave action carried the bone ashore, or that a scavenging dinosaur transported it. The discovery underscores the rich paleontological potential of the region and adds a new piece to the puzzle of North America's ancient ecosystems.
