Researchers Find Bicycles Maybe Like Duck: Mahir's Swimmer And Fly Into Water To Hunting Mangsa

Illustration of anatovenator polydontus. (Source: Nature)

JAKARTA - A new study found evidence that at least one dinosaur species may be a proficient swimmer, diving into duck-like water to hunt its prey.

The study published in 'Communications Biology' on December 1 describes a recently discovered species, the Nativenator polydontus. Theropods, or hollow dinosaurs with three legs and scratches on each leg, lived in Mongolia during the Cretaceous Upper period, 145 to 66 million years ago.

Scientists from Seoul National University, the University of Alberta and the Mongolian Academy of Sciences collaborated in the paper.

The researchers showed that the Natovenator had sleek ribs, such as a diver's bird.

"His body shape suggests that the Natovenator has the potential to be a swimming predator, and his sleek body evolves independently in a separate lineage from the theropod dinosaur," the authors wrote.

Natovenator specimens are very similar to Halszkaraptor, another dinosaur found in Mongolia, which scientists believe is likely to be semiacoustic. However, Natovenator specimens are more complete than Halszkaraptor, making it easier for scientists to see its sleek shape.

Both Natovators and Halszkaraptor are likely to use their arms to drive them through the water, the researchers explained.

David Hone, a paleontologist and professor at Queen Mary University of London, told CNN it was difficult to say exactly where the Natovenator is included in the spectrum that actually lives on land to the truly aquatic one.

But the specimen arm "seems good enough to move water," he said. Hone participated in peer reviews for 'Communications Biology'.

In addition, the Natovenator has solid bones, which are important for animals diving below the surface of the water. As the author wrote, it has a "community hydrodynamic body".

The next step, said Hone, was to model dinosaur body shape to help scientists understand exactly how it might move. "Did he pedal with his leg, pedal a little dog? How fast did that happen?

Further research should also look at the environment where Natovenator lives. The specimen was found in the Mongolian Gobi Desert, but there is evidence that there are lakes and other water bodies in the desert in the past.

"There's a real question, okay, you have a dinosaur swimming in the desert, where did he swim?" he said.

"Finding fossil records from lakes will be difficult, but sooner or later, we'll probably find them. And when we do, we might find more things like this."

Meanwhile, Nizar Ibrahim, senior paleontologist at the University of Portsmouth, whose research includes findings indicating Spinosaurus is most likely semiacoustic, told CNN he was not fully convinced by the findings of the study. He argues a more stringent quantitative analysis will make more interesting findings.

"I want to see, for example, a real description of bone density, animal osteohistology, in a larger set of data," he said.

"Even the anatomy of the ribs, if they put them in a bigger picture, a large data set that would be very helpful."

"The anatomy evidence is not clear" for Natovenator swimming rather than for Spinosaurus swimming."

And like Hone, he also wanted to know which waters Natovenator actually might have swam.

These animals are found in Mongolia, very contrary to what you would expect for water lovers, "he said.

But he hopes this research can help open the door for broader ideas about dinosaur behavior.

The dinosaurs were previously thought to be terrestrial, but more and more evidence emerged suggesting that at least some species spent as much time in water as they did on land.

"I'm sure there will be more surprises. And we'll know that dinosaurs didn't only exist for a very long time, but also, you know, very diverse and very good at attacking the new environment," Ibrahim said.