Dinosaurs Roamed the Arctic in the Past

The Edmontosaurus, which is also known under the nickname of the cow of the Cretaceous, was one of the most prolific dinosaur species. Members of this species lived more than 70 million years ago and roamed across vast regions of the planet, from Alberta to Colorado.

Some individuals managed to reach the Arctic areas while others may have arrived in Asia. The duck-billed dinosaurs had an impressive length of 15 meters and traveled around in herds. A new study conducted by a team of researchers argues that the creature may have traveled across longer distances than it was previously thought.

During the study, the international team of researchers focused on a large database that contains valuable information about hadrosaur bones. Records from several museums can be found in the same place, which is quite convenient as the scientists do not have to contact each institution individually to obtain access to the relevant data.

New information uncovered by the team infers that what appeared to be a new dinosaur species located in the northern part of Alaska is, in fact, a juvenile Edmontosaurus. Several fossils were located in the Prince Creek Formation located near the Alaskan Colville River.

The initial confusion was sparked by the fact that it is quite difficult to interpret juvenile bones since there are major differences between a younger representative of the species and an adult individual. These fossils prove that the Edmonotosaurs covered a significant amount of land and were able to adapt quickly to new environmental conditions, a trait that carries the tag of ecological generalists.

Within the study, it is also mentioned that the Edmontosaurus is closely related to the Kamuysaurus, a species of dinosaurs that can be found in Japan. Both species are a part of a group of hadrosaurs known as Edmontosaurini.

More information can be found in the study, which was published in a scientific journal.