A dinosaur with "needles" never seen before in any species has been found in China

An international team led by CNRS scientists has reported the discovery of a new species of iguanodont dinosaur, which has skin spines with an unusual structure not previously described in dinosaurs.

The find was made in China: we are talking about an exceptionally well-preserved young specimen with fossilised skin.

The new species was named Haolong dongi - in honour of Dong Zhimin, one of the pioneers of Chinese paleontology. The find is estimated to be about 125 million years old (Early Cretaceous).

The main intrigue is the preservation of the soft tissue. Using X-ray tomography and highly detailed histological slices, the researchers saw skin elements at the level of cellular structures and described the structure of the spines: they appeared hollow, cylindrical and embedded in the coverings on a large part of the body.

According to the authors' interpretation, these spines probably worked as a means of deterring predators - functionally they are compared to the protective needles of porcupines. At the same time, additional roles are allowed: participation in thermoregulation or sensory (mechanoreception).

The scientists emphasise an important limitation: the specimen found was a cub/adolescent, so it is not yet clear whether such spines were preserved in adults or changed with age.