This dinosaur is named after a "Ghostbusters" character, and we're into it
If something’s strange in your archaeological site, who ya gonna call? Um, let’s try this again: A newly discovered dinosaur has been named for the Ghostbusters character Zuul, Mashable reports.
If you’ve forgotten precisely who or what Zuul is, consider yourself an anomaly because we didn’t think it was possible for anyone to ever rid their nightmares of the hellish creature’s ghastly face. And now, 33 years after the original Ghostbusters was released in theaters, scientists have unearthed a real-life creature that looks freakishly similar to the horned, red-eyed, refrigerator-dwelling demigod that took over the body of Dana Barrett, played by Sigourney Weaver.
Scientists from the Royal Ontario Museum identified and named the new species of ankylosaurid, or armored dinosaur, Zuul crurivastator due to its uncanny resemblance to the fictional monster. The skeleton of the 75-million-year-old, plant-eating dino is said to be one of the most complete and well preserved in its species.
"The preservation of the fossil is truly remarkable. Not only is the skeleton almost completely intact, but large parts of the bony armor in the skin are still in its natural position. Most excitingly, soft tissues such as scales and the horny sheaths of spikes are preserved, which will be a focus of our future research," said Dr. David Evans, project leader.
We usually jump for joy when learning about new dinosaurs, but considering the fact that Zuul scared the entire crap out of us then and still does now, we don’t know how to feel about this particular discovery.
Researchers said the armored dino’s name stems from its “short, rounded snout and prominent horns behind the eyes.” It measured 20 feet long and bore a 10-foot-long tail club, weighing in at an incredible 5,500 pounds, or the size of a white rhinoceros.
Even Dan Aykroyd got some hang time with Zuul crurivastator.
Still scary. But hey, if an original Ghostbuster can give Dino Zuul a chance, we suppose we can too.
