It had long stretches of winter darkness, freezing temperatures and often scarce resources, but an array of tiny fossils suggests dinosaurs not only r

Dinosaurs lived in the Arctic, research suggests

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2021-06-25 05:00:15

It had long stretches of winter darkness, freezing temperatures and often scarce resources, but an array of tiny fossils suggests dinosaurs not only roamed the Arctic, but hatched and raised their young there too.

While dinosaur fossils have previously been found in the Arctic, it was unclear whether they lived there year-round or were seasonal visitors.

Now experts say hundreds of fossils from very young dinosaurs recovered from northern Alaska indicates the creatures reproduced in the region, suggesting it was their permanent home.

Prof Gregory Erickson, a palaeobiologist at Florida State University and a co-author of the research, said the discovery was akin to a prehistoric maternity ward, adding it was very rare to find remains of such young dinosaurs because they are so small and delicate.

“We were stunned when we discovered the tiny fossils,” he said. “We suspected they were nesting in the Arctic, but didn’t anticipate recovering evidence of this behaviour.”