The remains of a previously unknown species of herbivorous dinosaur in the Southern Hemisphere have been discovered in Chile, challenging long-held beliefs about the distribution of platypus dinosaurs, scientists said Friday. Reaching four meters (13 feet) long and one ton in weight, Gonkoken nanoi lived 72 million years ago in what is now Chilean Patagonia.

“These were slender-looking dinosaurs that could easily adopt bipedal and quadrupedal stances to reach vegetation at altitude and at ground level,” said Alexander Vargas, director of the Paleontology Network at the University of Chile, one of the study’s authors. work published in the journal Science Advances and presented in Santiago.

The discovery revealed that Chilean Patagonia served as a haven for very ancient hadrosaur species, a platypus-like dinosaur that spread across North America, Asia and Europe during the Cretaceous period, 145 to 66 million years ago.

Vargas said their presence in the far southern lands has puzzled scientists “who will have to figure out how their ancestors got there.” Gonkoken nanoi, the fifth dinosaur species discovered in Chile, was discovered in 2013 and sparked a decade of research. The name Hongkoken comes from the Tehuelche language, the first inhabitants of the area, and means “like a wild duck or swan”.