Say that three times fast! Hey Bronto buddies! Gather round—time to meet Enigmacursor mollyborthwickae, the new dinosaur star on display in London’s Natural History Museum!
First off, how do you pronounce it?
To help you with the phonetic spelling of Enigmacursor mollyborthwickae, let’s sound out the pronunciation of each part.
Enigmacursor:
- Enigma: This part is pronounced “ee-NIG-muh” (US) or “ih-NIG-muh” (UK). The stress is on the second syllable.
- Cursor: This is pronounced “KER-ser”.
mollyborthwickae:
- Molly: This is typically pronounced “MAH-lee”.
- Borthwickae: Similar endings in biological names suggest that the “ae” ending, which often indicates a feminine plural in Latin, is pronounced like the “ee” sound in “bee.”
Putting it all together, a potential phonetic spelling is:
“ee-NIG-muh-KER-ser MAH-lee-BORTH-wik-ee“
💡 What’s So Cool About It?
- Pocket-sized runner!
This little dinosaur was about 1 meter long (about the size of a big dog), but it had long, speedy legs, perfect for racing away from bigger dinos, so as not to be eaten! - Not brand new bones, but brand new name!
Scientists dug into old fossil collections and discovered no one had named this guy correctly. It had been hiding in plain view, now it finally gets to shine!
🌍 Where & When Did It Live?
- It lived about 150 million years ago in a muddy river valley called the Morrison Formation (in the western USA) during the Late Jurassic Period.
- Back then, enormous plant-eating dinosaurs like Diplodocus stomped around, and scary meat-eaters like Ceratosaurus lurked nearby. Little Enigmacursor had to be quick to stay safe!
🦖 Why Is It Important?
- Big dinosaurs get all the spotlight, but Enigmacursor shows us that even tiny dinosaurs are essential. It reminds paleontologists to look more carefully, many small dinosaurs could be waiting to be discovered!
- Finding this fossil was mighty important! It reveals whole communities of nimble, plant-eating dinosaurs racing along rivers long before the T. rex was around.
FREE COLORING PAGE of Enigmacursor mollyborthwickae!
Save and print this coloring page, featuring Enigmacursor and the Bronto Brothers racing at a Riverbank Rally! Download the coloring page here:
Visit Earth Hall in London’s museum to see the “mysterious runner” up close. (phys.org)
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🦕 Thanks for Visiting the Bronto Brothers!
We’re thrilled you stopped by! Whether you came for dino-themed birthday party ideas, stylish MOHD dinosaur merch, or to catch up, we hope you leave inspired and smiling.
Explore more from the land of roar-some adventures:
- 📚 The Brontos Book Series
- 🧢 The Brontos Shopified: Dinosaur Gear & Gifts
- 📬 Free Coloring Book – Subscribe to the Bronto Beat!
- 🦖Feature Article: Autism and the Fascination with Dinosaurs
Douglas Bayliss is an author and creator of The Bronto Brothers, a dinosaur band that brings music, fun, and learning to kids everywhere. When he's not writing roarsome adventures, Doug enjoys singing and song writing.
