Dinosaurs lived in the Arctic, research suggests

It had long stretches of winter darkness, freezing temperatures and often scarce resources, but an array of tiny fossils suggests dinosaurs not only roamed the Arctic, but hatched and raised their young there too.

While dinosaur fossils have previously been found in the Arctic, it was unclear whether they lived there yearround or were seasonal visitors.

Now experts say hundreds of fossils from very young dinosaurs recovered from northern Alaska indicates the creatures reproduced in the region, suggesting it was their permanent home.

Prof Gregory Erickson, a palaeobiologist at Florida State University and a co-author of the research, said the discovery was akin to a prehistoric maternity ward, adding it was very rare to find remains of such young dinosaurs because they are so small and delicate.

“We were stunned when we discovered the tiny fossils,” he said. “We suspected they were nesting in the Arctic, but didn’t anticipate recovering evidence of this behaviour.”

Writing in the journal Current Biology, Erickson and colleagues reported how they analysed fossils recovered from the Upper Cretaceous Prince Creek Formation in a series of expeditions spanning a decade and involved the use of fine mesh screens to sift sediments.

Though remains from dinosaurs have previously been found in the formation, none showed evidence of reproduction.

But the new research has revealed the discovery of tiny teeth and bones from young dinosaurs, including those who were just about to hatch or had recently done so.

The fossils, dating to around 70m

Photograph: James Havens It was previously unclear whether dinosaurs lived in the Arctic year-round or were seasonal visitors.

YCeoanrstinaguoe,dcoanmpeagfero13m large and small- Prof Gregory Erickson, left, and his colleague find evidence of baby dinosaurs in the Arctic. Photograph: University of Alaska Fairbanks and Florida State University