The Discovery
An international research team led by a paleontologist from Stony Brook University, working alongside experts from the Royal Ontario Museum and the North Dakota Geological Survey, has identified a new species of dinosaur. Named Infernogallus jamesi—and nicknamed the "hell chicken"—this creature was about the size of a modern turkey. It lived in North America during the final chapter of the dinosaur era, between 145 and 66 million years ago. Its fossils were uncovered in the Hell Creek Formation, a region extending through Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming.
What Scientists Found
While sharing its environment with famous species such as the predator T. rex, the horned Triceratops, and the armored Ankylosaurus, Infernogallus jamesi had a remarkably different lifestyle. It belonged to the caenagnathids, a group of toothless, feathered dinosaurs. Though it evolved from the same broader theropod family as meat-eating dinosaurs, analysis of its rare, exceptionally preserved skull revealed that it was the first known dinosaur to specifically eat fruit.
The dinosaur's jaw featured specialized chewing muscles arranged similarly to modern parrots. These muscles enabled it to crush soft foods and separate edible pulp from large seeds rather than hunting prey.
Why It Matters
Study leader Greg Funston and senior author Dr. David Evans noted that the discovery provides surprising new insights into dinosaur evolution and feeding specializations. The animal lived during a shift when flowering plants were spreading across landscapes and replacing older cone-bearing plants. By feeding on fleshy fruits, Infernogallus jamesi likely dispersed seeds across the ancient forests much like birds, reptiles, and small mammals do today, showing that dinosaurs may have helped shape prehistoric ecosystems before their mass extinction.
Source: dinosaur fossil discovery - BingNews · Published November 01, 2026 · Photo by fan yang on Unsplash
