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Live baby dinosaur discovered in New Zealand

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Most people grew up being taught that the mighty race of dinosaurs went extinct about 65 million years ago. But it’s not true; dinosaurs still walk the Earth.

No, it isn’t a T-Rex or a living relative of the Loch Ness Monster…but it is one of the oldest living creatures on Earth.

A dinosaur that didn’t go extinct 60 million years ago may be news to some people, including many Western paleontologists that have created a cottage industry debunking living dinosaur stories. Well here’s one they can’t debunk because even New Zealand scientists agree that this dinosaur specimen is the real deal!

For only the second time in more than two centuries a genuine baby dinosaur has been seen on the mainland of New Zealand and the news has scientists bubbling over with undisguised joy.

“This is a significant and exciting discovery!” exclaimed Nancy McIntosh-Ward the Zealandia Chief Executive. Zealandia is a non-profit animal and bird sancaury in Wellington, New Zealand.

Meet the tuataras

Often called living fossils by those who know they really do exist, the tuataras sure might look like a lizard, but they’re not. The tuatara is really a living dinosaur that belongs to the order Rhynchocephalia. That order of dinosaur became extinct about 60 million years in the past. All went extinct…except the tuataras.    

This particular dinosaur specimen is about three months old. The discovery has many top scientists thinking that more baby tuataras exist.

McIntosh-Ward noted, “We were overjoyed to find our first baby tuatara in March last year, now the discovery of a second youngster confirms that tuatara are successfully breeding in Zealandia-–the only place on the mainland where tuatara live freely.”

Conservation ecologist Susan Keall of Victoria University declared the news of the baby tuatara exciting. “Baby tuataras are very small and very cryptic in their behavior. It strongly suggests there are others.”

No known natural predators

One of the most un-evolved animals found anywhere on Earth, the tuatara are a dinosaur species that’s remained unchanged since it first appeared 200 million years ago. Fossil and DNA analysis allows its lineage to be traced back to the Late Triassic during the Mesozoic Era.

Scientists believe the animals managed to survive in New Zealand because it has no natural predators.

“With a population of 200 tuatara we can assume there are many more youngsters but with them being so small in such a large area it is hard for us to monitor their breeding,” McIntosh-Ward added.

For fascinating tuataras facts click here.

So, dinosaurs still exist. This fact might make a good bar bet and win some a round of drinks.

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© Copyright AYM Communications, 2011.



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    Total 16 comments
    • HfjNUlYZ

      LOL OH MAN THESE MISLEADING TITLES ALWAYS GET ME

    • HfjNUlYZ

      This is old news. Google it. It happened in like 2009/2010.

    • Anonymous

      Give me a break. Many kinds of animals are descended from dinosaurs … lizards, snakes, birds, crocs and the two species in this order. You don’t call any of those others dinosaurs, do you?

    • JOMP

      “For only the second time in more than two centuries a genuine baby dinosaur has been seen on the mainland of New Zealand and the news has scientists bubbling over with undisguised joy.”

      Jeesh! Misleading Headlines! Misleading drivel! Tuatara have been known about for as long as human beings have inhabited New Zealand.

      What the hell is this kind of misreportage supposed to achieve?

    • Poe56

      Good news! Great!

    • DeDukshen

      Its not even a dinosaur – it’s an ancient lizard but not a dinosaur by definition. Dinosaurs were unique reptiles with the characteristics of being semi warm blooded, an extra heart chamber and legs that extended underneath the animal as opposed to out the sides as we see in lizards. Lizards are not dinosaurs, never were and never will be – different type of animal altogether, even if the did share the same place on earth long ago ….. this artical needs a complete re-write for proper validity even.

    • Anonymous

      True. But I don’t buy the part about breathing once an hour. Maybe while estivating – which is warm weather hibernation, but it should have been mentioned if the estivate.

      Interesing. With genes that old and some genetic manipulation, maybe we Could get some big dinos – set ‘em loose in Tokyo and film the action ;’)

    • HfjNUlYZ

      It would have been more believable if they showed me a picture of an ostich.

    • NO NWO

      “New” creatures are being discovered almost on a daily basis. Good grief, sheople will believe anything.

    • Apolitical Blues

      That critter is as much a dinosaur as Obama is an agent of “change we can believe in”. What a waste of ink…so to speak.

    • Norry

      What an abject waste of time this was.It may be big in NZ but we have these and much more in Australia.What about goannas and all the other lookalike lizards also crocodiles and alligators in other countries.They all maybe dinosaurs in the generic term but to me they are collectively lizards.norry.

    • Anonymous

      Where do all of these moron writers come from. Stay off this site please & stop wasting peoples time with no Pics no Vid No Proof. If you cant verify the plugin then pull it

    • HfjNUlYZ

      Why are people so negative? This is an alternative news source which means there is going to be all sorts of articles on all sorts of topics. Some factual and some completely fabricated. Get off your high horses folks. And why do we have to refer to everyone as sheeple whenever we get the chance? Sounds like some elitist bullshit. Aren’t the elites the people that all of you anti NWO are supposed to be fighting against?

    • Shoshone

      It is likely the only other creature on earth that has non evolutionary DNA thus Dinosaur. By the way the other creatures without it? Guess? mentioned above Why do you think they’re so cranky and jealous of the rest of us? [us]Soul vs. No Soul[them],
      [us]Divinity vs. Death [them], [us]natural ability vs need for technology [them]. [us]Mostly asleep regarding knowledge of inherent power vs Awake and aware of what humanity is capable of [them]. See the switch in consciousness? That is why they are kicking our sleeping butts.We aren’t “sheeple” we are SLEEPLE!

    • Norry

      Shoshone,check the label on your medication,it possibly says 1 pill 4 times a day not 4 pills at once.

    • CosmicKiwiPerth

      Yawn. I am from New Zealand. Yes the Tuatara exists. It was around at the time of the dinosaurs too. There are plenty of them about in the wild but like the Kiwi bird,you don`t see them often. This is not newsbreaking at all. Every NZ school kid knows of the Tuatara lizard. They are small unlike the Komodo of Indonesia etc.

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