For years, a pint-sized dinosaur skeleton was misidentified—until now.
Meet Enigmacursor, or “puzzling runner,” a Labrador-sized dino.
It scurried beneath the shadows of Jurassic giants like Stegosaurus 150 million years ago.
Originally labeled a Nanosaurus, it turns out this dino is in a league of its own.
On Thursday, it becomes the first new dinosaur to join London’s Natural History Museum in a decade.
And it’s not just about adding another fossil to the shelf—this little creature is a game-changer.
“This was a fast runner,” says conservator Kieran Miles, pointing out its dense hips and oversized feet.
What Were The Tiny Arms For?
Scientists believe Enigmacursor was likely a teenager when it died—small-brained, big-footed, and full of evolutionary clues.
Its near-complete skeleton revealed features never seen in other so-called Nanosaurus specimens.
“We had to go back to the original U.S. fossils,” explains Prof. Susannah Maidment.
“But they were just rock impressions. Our specimen? Much clearer.”
So clear, in fact, that scientists have now scrapped the Nanosaurus category altogether.
Why does it matter? “If we miscount species, the whole evolutionary story unravels,” says Prof. Paul Barrett.
So next time you’re dino-hunting, don’t just look up—look down. The little guys might be rewriting history.
