Scientists found a baby dinosaur hidden in rock and it is surprisingly cute

“Dooly is one of the very famous, iconic dinosaur characters in Korea. Every generation in Korea knows this character,” said Jongyun Jung, a visiting postdoctoral researcher at UT’s Jackson School of Geosciences who led the research. “And our specimen is also a juvenile or ‘baby’, so it’s perfect for our dinosaur species name to honor Dooly.”

First New Dinosaur Species in Korea in 15 Years

This discovery marks the first new dinosaur species identified in South Korea in 15 years. It is also the first fossil from the country to include parts of a dinosaur skull.

Initially, researchers only saw a few bones, including parts of the legs and spine. However, a micro-CT scan conducted at the University of Texas High-Resolution X-ray Computed Tomography (UTCT) facility revealed much more hidden inside the rock, including skull fragments.

“When we first found the specimen, we saw some leg bones preserved and some vertebrae,” Jung said. “We didn’t expect skull parts and so many more bones. There was a fair amount of excitement when we saw what was hidden inside the block.”

Meet Doolysaurus huhmini

The species has been officially named Doolysaurus huhmini. The second part of the name honors Korean paleontologist Min Huh for his decades of contributions to dinosaur research in Korea, as well as his role in founding the Korean Dinosaur Research Center and helping preserve fossil sites through UNESCO.

The findings were published in the journal Fossil Record on March 19. The fossil itself was discovered in 2023 by co-author Hyemin Jo.

What the Baby Dinosaur Looked Like

The young dinosaur was about two years old when it died and was still growing. It measured roughly the size of a turkey, though adults of the species may have been twice as large. Scientists also think it may have been covered in soft, fuzzy filaments.

“I think it would have been pretty cute,” said study co-author Julia Clarke, a professor at the Jackson School. “It might have looked a bit like a little lamb.”

CT Scanning Reveals Hidden Fossil Details

Most of the fossil remains encased in hard rock, and manually removing it could take years. Instead, researchers relied on micro-CT scanning, which allowed them to visualize the full skeleton in just a few months.

Jung and Clarke, along with their collaborators, then spent more than a year studying the anatomy in detail. Clarke noted that CT scanning has become an essential method for studying delicate fossils, especially small dinosaurs and early birds trapped in solid rock.

Life in the Mid-Cretaceous Period

Doolysaurus lived between about 113 and 94 million years ago during the mid-Cretaceous period. Based on its features, scientists classified it as a thescelosaurid, a group of two-legged dinosaurs found in East Asia and North America that may have had fuzzy coverings.

Researchers confirmed that the fossil belonged to a juvenile by examining growth patterns in a thin section of its femur bone.

Diet Clues From Stomach Stones

Inside the fossil, scientists also found dozens of gastroliths, small stones that the dinosaur swallowed to help digest food. These stones suggest the animal had an omnivorous diet that included plants, insects, and small animals.

The presence of these stones also encouraged researchers to investigate further. Because gastroliths are small and light-weight, their intact arrangement indicated that much of the skeleton might still be preserved within the rock.

“A little cluster of stomach stones, with two leg bones sticking out indicates that the animal was not fully pulled apart before it has hit the fossil record,” Clarke said. “So, I encouraged [Jung and co-authors Minguk Kim and Hyemin Jo] to visit Texas and the UTCT, to try scanning the fossil.”

More Discoveries May Be Hidden in Rock

Kim and Jo are now applying the CT scanning techniques they learned to other fossils in Korea. Jung also plans to return to Aphae Island to search for additional specimens.

South Korea is well known for fossilized dinosaur tracks, nests, and eggs, but actual dinosaur bones are relatively rare. Researchers believe that many fossils may still be hidden inside rock, just like Doolysaurus.

Jung is optimistic that continued use of micro-CT technology will uncover more discoveries.

“We’re expecting some new dinosaur or other egg fossils to come from Aphae and other small islands,” he said.