A reconstruction of the Daohugou fauna in northeastern China during the Jurassic Period, featuring feathered dinosaurs, pterosaurs, early mammals and amphibians is pictured in this handout artist's illustration obtained by Reuters March 6, 2014. A s
(IN PHOTO) A reconstruction of the Daohugou fauna in northeastern China during the Jurassic Period, featuring feathered dinosaurs, pterosaurs, early mammals and amphibians is pictured in this handout artist's illustration obtained by Reuters March 6, 2014. A spectacular array of beautifully preserved fossils unearthed in northeastern China over the past two decades provides a unique portal on life 160 million years ago in the Jurassic Period, an international team of scientists said this week. REUTERS/Copyright Julia Molnar 2013/Handout via Reuters

The discovery of a new species of dinosaur—Chilesaurus diegosuarezi—has kept scientists puzzled for years. However, the latest research suggests that this strange vegetarian specimen is a relative of the other ancient meat-eating species, including Velociraptor and the Tyrrannosaurus Rex.

The fossils of Chilesaurus diegosuarezi—named after the country and the animal's 7-year-old discoverer, Diego Suarez—was discovered back in 2004 at the Toqui formation, south of the Chilean Patagonia. Suarez's geologist parents were studying the rocks in the area when he suddenly stumbled across the fossils in the rocks. The fossils under the rocks are believed to be deposited around 145 million years ago during the Jurassic period.

"Chilesaurus was an odd plant-eating dinosaur only to be found in Chile. However, the recurrent discovery in the beds of the Toqui Formation of its bones and skeletons clearly demonstrates that Chilesaurus was, by far, the most abundant dinosaur in southwest Patagonia 145 million years ago," said the lead author from the Bernardino Rivadavia Natural Sciences Museum in Buenos Aires, Dr. Fernando Novas.

The strange characteristics of the animal led researchers to believe that it belongs to more than a single species of dinosaurs. The analysis of the fossil shows that the newly discovered dinosaur species had horned neck, small feet, small head, hands with two fingers and feet as that of a dinosaur with a long neck. The mismatched odd features of the animal led palaeontologists to compare it with the platypus, which is a duck-billed egg-laying mammal.

“I honestly think that no palaeontologists expected early theropods could have ever evolved into something like this," said study co-author from the University of Chile, Alexander Vargas.

The palaeontologists are now looking for more odd-looking and closely related species of Chilesaurus. Researchers believe that the discovery could provide clues to how dinosaurs evolved in the past.

The discovery has been reported in the journal Nature.

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