Scientists have found a "furry dinosaur" - named after a cartoon character

The new species was named Doolysaurus huhmini.

Its remains were found on Aphe Island, but at first scientists saw only part of the skeleton - a few leg bones and a spine.

The real surprise was inside.

Using CT scans, the researchers looked inside the stone and found:

• parts of the skull
• additional bones
• stomach stones

This made it possible to fully describe the new species.

Details

Based on the body structure, scientists speculate that the dinosaur may have been covered with:

thin thread-like structures, similar to down

Such coverings are already known in some dinosaurs and are considered the precursors of feathers.

According to the researchers, it could have looked:

"about the size of a small lamb."

What it was like

• about 2 years old
• about the size of a turkey
• lived 100 to 110 million years ago

Judging from the pebbles found in its stomach, it ate:

• plants
• insects
• small animals

Why it was named that

The name Doolysaurus is a reference to the popular South Korean cartoon character Dooley.

Scientists explained it simply:

a dinosaur is also a "baby," and the association was perfect.

Why it's important

• it's the first new dinosaur in Korea in 15 years
• it's one of the rare cases where we've been able to study a skull
• shows that many finds can be "hidden" inside a stone

The discovery confirms

• small dinosaurs may have been covered in "fluff"
• modern technology is making it possible to find hidden fossils
• in regions where dinosaur bones are almost non-existent, they may still be preserved

Source

The study was conducted by scientists from the University of Texas and the Korean Dinosaur Research Centre.

The results are published in the journal Fossil Record.