Ladies and gentlemen, meet Pegomastax africanus, a newly discovered dinosaur about the size of a house cat, with self-sharpening fangs and porcupine-like quills. It looks vicious, but scientists believe Pego (that’s its nickname from now on, OK?) was an herbivore who used those fearsome teeth for nothing more than foraging yummy plants and defending its adorable little self. Another bombshell? Paul Sereno, a paleontologist at the University of Chicago, insists that if this long-extinct creature were still around today, “it would be a nice pet—if you could train it not to nip you.” Well fancy that. I’ve been wanting to get a Pomeranian, but suddenly I want a Pegomastax instead. Amelia, would you and Lucca care to join us for a walk? [National Geographic]
