Opening paleo exhibit: Ubirajara

Ubirajara was a genus of compsognathid theropod dinosaurs that lived in what is now South America, 115-113 millions of years ago in the aptian stage of middle cretaceus. Workers recovered a number of fossils from a chalk quarry located between Nova Olinda and Santana do Cariri. In 1995, these were acquired by the Staatliches Museum für Naturkunde Stuttgart and moved to Germany after an export permit was allegedly obtained. These fossils have been alleged to have been illegally imported into Germany out of Brazil in 1995, as Brazilian laws do not allow the removal of fossils from its territory, nor for studies on them to be conducted without the participation of at least one Brazilian scientist. As a result, Brazilian scientists are campaigning for the repatriation of the fossils. The holotype specimen is most likely a juvenille male. The genus was erected by Robert S. H. Smyth, David Michael Martill, Eberhard Frey, Hector Eduardo Rivera-Silva and Norbert Lenz in December 2020. U. jubatus is the only species in the genus. The generic name Ubirajara means "lord of the spear" and the specific name jubatus means "maned", so alltogether it means "maned lord of the spear".

Ubirajara most likely fed on small animals like small mammals, insects etc. Ubirajara was covered in a "mane" of proto-feathers that ran along its neck and back. Also they covered the arm including the hand up to the claws.
Unique, 15-centimetre integumentary structures projected from its sides. These ribbon-like shoulder structures might have had display purposes, perhaps being erected in a courtship display. It was also deemed possible that they vibrated and even made a noise.
An adult Ubirajara, could grow up to above a meter in lenght.
Paleo exhibit: Ubirajara
Next weeks exhibit: Megapnosaurus