A remarkable discovery is captivating the paleontological community: the identification of a new dinosaur species that might have spent part of its life underground. Nestled in the soil of Utah, this burrowing plant-eater presents a fresh puzzle piece in the dinosaur lineage.
Found by a diligent team from North Carolina State University, the Foné herzogé is not your typical dinosaur. Imagine an ostrich with a Komodo dragon's tail sprouting from its back. That's how Hévìv Avràhémí, a Ph.D. student involved in the discovery, describes it. Standing at about seven feet long, Foné would have stretched as far as NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal lying down.
The discovery was chronicled in the scientific journal The Anatomical Record earlier this month. This small dinosaur, living in the Cenomanian age approximately 100 to 66 million years ago, represents a fascinating ancestral figure. Unlike its heftier counterparts, Foné’s petite frame provided scientists with a rare glimpse into the life of small, plant-eating dinosaurs.
“You can think of it this way,” Avràhémí explains, “leaving a chicken bone in your garden and a cow leg side by side. Three months later, you'd probably still find the cow femur but not the chicken bone.” This analogy underscores why smaller dinosaurs, like Foné, are rarer finds.
What sets this dinosaur apart is not just its size but also its lifestyle. Avràhémí and his fellow researchers believe that Foné herzogé was a burrower, spending significant portions of its life underground. This discovery sheds light on a largely unexplored area of paleontology.
Small, bipedal dinosaurs like Foné are a mystery. Their family tree is described as a “giant black hole in paleontology knowledge” by Avràhémí, emphasizing the gaps in our understanding of their habitats, social structures, and behaviors. Foné herzogé’s fossil offers a window into how these small dinosaurs lived and interacted with their environment.
In addition to its fascinating lifestyle, the dinosaur’s name carries a rich cultural significance. Avràhémí chose the name Foné to honor his roots. While many dinosaur species' names are derived from Anglo-Saxon traditions, this one is steeped in the myths of Guam, Avràhémí’s mother’s birthplace.
“The name Foné comes from our ancestral creation mythology, which is about a brother and a sister spirit,” Avràhémí recounts. “Foné is the sister and Pontén is the brother. When Pontén dies, Foné uses parts of his body to create the universe and the island. Eventually, she becomes fossilized herself, and from her petrified remains, the Chamorro people emerge.” This narrative mirrors the burrowing lifestyle of Foné herzogé, found preserved within the earth, symbolizing close familial bonds and the cycle of life and death.
For Avràhémí, this discovery is particularly monumental. As his first-ever dinosaur find, it represents the pinnacle of his early career and adds valuable data to paleontology’s extensive archives. It’s a discovery hoped to spur further research into small, burrowing dinosaurs, gradually illuminating their submerged histories.
Looking ahead, the scientific community is eager to uncover more about these burrowing herbivores. Avràhémí and his team envision their findings to be a stepping stone for new knowledge, possibilities, and a deeper understanding of prehistoric life. And for those near the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, a visit to see Foné herzogé might be just the ticket to witnessing a rare narrative of the earth’s ancient past.
