Dinosaur Skull Fragment Unearthed in Tajikistan Could Signal Discovery of New Species
Paleontologists from St. Petersburg State University have uncovered a remarkably well-preserved fragment of a duck-billed dinosaur skull in Tajikistan, a rare and potentially groundbreaking find for the region.
According to scientists, the skull fragment is in near-perfect condition, allowing for precise classification. Experts believe the discovery could lead to the identification of a previously unknown genus of dinosaurs. Russian researchers are now conducting a comparative analysis, examining the specimen alongside collections from other countries.
The dinosaur belongs to the hadrosaur family, a group known for their distinctive elongated, duck-like snouts. These herbivorous reptiles lived during the late Cretaceous period. Researchers say the find may offer new insights into the evolutionary history of dinosaurs in Central Asia.
Tajikistan is emerging as a key site for the study of the Cretaceous era. In a previous discovery near the village of Kansai in the Sughd region, paleontologists unearthed dinosaur remains estimated to be around 85 million years old. The area, often described as a “chronicle of the ancient world,” has yielded fossils not only of dinosaurs but also of turtles, crocodiles, amphibians, and ancient fish.
Kansai has long been on the scientific map. In the 1960s and 1980s, expeditions led by the renowned Soviet paleontologist Anatoly Rozhdestvensky explored the region extensively. His team identified several new species, including therizinosaurs. One of the most notable finds from that era was a nearly complete femur of a therizinosaur.
Many of these rare specimens are now housed in the History and Local Lore Museum of the Sogdian Region, which attracts visitors with its collection of prehistoric fossils and other ancient artifacts.
Among the museum’s standout items is the jawbone of a southern elephant, estimated to be 2.5 million years old. It was discovered on the shore of the Kayrakkum Reservoir in 2013. According to museum director Mansur Boimatov, similar remains were first uncovered in 1978. At that time, local artisans created a bas-relief of the elephant, which was later installed in the Khujand Museum.
