A Southern China dinosaur skeleton has been unearthed by paleontologists in Jiangxi, a province in the Ganzhou area, and it was found that the ancient creature actually belongs to the feathered dinosaur group of oviraptors. 

According to Sci-News, the newly discovered dinosaur has been given the official name of Huanansaurus ganzhouensis, a name derived from where it was unearthed. Huanan means southern China while the ganzhou in its species name was taken from Ganzhou, the locality where it was discovered.

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The rare discovery reportedly has an almost complete skull with the lower jaws nearly intact. Because oviraptorosaurs are distinct creatures, experts didn't have a hard time identifying the Southern China dinosaur through its skull and ischial morphologies.

The fossilized skeleton was then put under the care of paleontologists from the Henan Geological Museum in China, Uppsala University in Sweden, Institute of Geology, Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources in South Korea and Hokkaido University in Japan.

Nature.com reports that the newly found dinosaur specimen is highly distinct from typical oviraptors, but it does have similarities to Citipati, a Mongolian oviraptorid. Hence, experts believe the Southern China dinosaur is a cousin of the Citipati.

"The specimen has a nearly complete skull including lower jaws. Seven cervical vertebrae are preserved; the first four are almost complete whereas the last three are only preserved as fragments or impressions," scientists who studied the unique feathered dinosaur noted in their published research.

Researchers added that the Southern China dinosaur was most likely a two-legged creature with parrot-like beak and a crest atop its skull. Moreover, its jaw structure is very different from those of other oviraptorid dinosaurs. 

"The partial humerus, ulna, radius and complete hand of the right arm, the left hand, a small portion of the distal end of the right femur, the proximal end of the right tibia, and the distal portion of the right pes are preserved," the team of scientists noted in their study.

The study on the Chinese dinosaur, which is believed to have existed about 72 million years ago, was published in the journal of Scientific Reports, as per Business Insider.

TagsSouthern China Dinosaur, Jiangki, Pelontology, Oviraptors