Scientists Discover "Hell Chicken", A Dinosaur That Ate Fruits Instead Of Meat

Scientists have discovered a new species of dinosaur that ate fruit instead of meat around 66 million years ago. Named Infernogallus jamesi, the dinosaur lived in the region that is now part of North America and had special mouthparts that helped it chew and eat fruit, reported NYPost. 

The discovery is important because it provides evidence of a fruit-eating dinosaur, a diet that researchers had not previously identified in these animals. The findings were published in the journal Nature.

Dr Gregory Funston, an assistant professor in the Department of Anatomical Sciences at Stony Brook University, said researchers already knew that dinosaurs evolved to occupy a wide range of ecological roles during the Cretaceous period. However, the discovery of fruit-eating dinosaurs came as a surprise, as scientists had not expected to find evidence of such dietary behaviour, according to Phys.org.

Researchers named the dinosaur Infernogallus jamesi, with its genus name meaning "Hell Chicken". The name comes from the Hell Creek Formation, where its fossil was discovered.

The Hell Creek Formation stretches across Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming in the United States.

The dinosaur lived around 66 million years ago, when the region was a subtropical coastal plain. It shared its surroundings with dinosaurs such as Triceratops, Ankylosaurus and Tyrannosaurus rex.

Infernogallus was around five feet long and weighed approximately 25 pounds. It belonged to the theropod group, which includes meat-eating dinosaurs such as Tyrannosaurus rex. However, unlike its relatives, this dinosaur mainly ate fruit.

Researchers studied the dinosaur's mouth and found special features that helped it eat fruit.

Its jaw muscles allowed it to move its jaws back and forth while chewing. Its beak also had ridges and grooves that helped it cut and crush fruit.

These features allowed the dinosaur to separate seeds from the soft parts of the fruit. Researchers said similar features had been seen separately in turtles and parrots, but had not previously been found together in one animal.

Dr Thomas Dudgeon of the Royal Ontario Museum said animals that become specially adapted to eating fruit often develop unusual physical features.

The discovery also helps researchers understand the relationship between dinosaurs and flowering plants.

Flowering plants first appeared around 130 to 140 million years ago during the Cretaceous Period. Over time, they became more common and spread across areas where plants such as conifers and ginkgoes had grown.

As fruits became larger and more common, Infernogallus developed special mouthparts that helped it eat them.

Researchers are still unsure about the exact fruits it consumed. However, they believe its diet may have included different types of berries and drupes, a group of fruits that includes peaches and olives.

The findings also suggest that dinosaurs played an important role in spreading seeds. By eating fruits, Infernogallus may have helped flowering plants spread and develop.

Researchers also believe that the "Hell Chicken" may have had feathers, like modern birds.