Scientists discover first-of-its-kind small armoured dinosaur the size of a pet cat

Jakapil kaniukura may have had a two-legged stance unlike most armoured dinosaurs of this kind, scientists say

Paleontologists have unearthed a first-of-its kind small armoured dinosaur in southern Argentina that likely weighed as much as a pet cat and walked upright on its back legs.

The dinosaur, named Jakapil kaniukura, lived about 100 million years ago during the Cretaceous Period and had rows of disk-shaped bony armor along its neck and back down to its tail, researchers said.

The unearthed “subadult” dinosaur was estimated to have been “less than 1.5m in body length and to have weighed 4.5–7 kg”, said scientists, including those from Universidad Maimónides in Argentina, in a study published in Scientific Reports on Thursday.