Researchers from The University of Texas at Austin and the Korean Dinosaur Research Center announced on Mar. 19 the discovery of a new species of baby dinosaur from Aphae Island, South Korea, which they have named Doolysaurus. The announcement follows the publication of their research in the journal Fossil Record.
The discovery is significant as it marks the first new dinosaur species found in Korea in 15 years and is also the first Korean dinosaur fossil to include parts of its skull. The fossil was revealed through a scientific micro-CT scan at the University of Texas High-Resolution X-ray Computed Tomography facility, which has been providing this technology to researchers for nearly three decades.
Jongyun Jung, a visiting postdoctoral researcher at UT’s Jackson School of Geosciences who led the research, said, “Dooly is one of the very famous, iconic dinosaur characters in Korea. Every generation in Korea knows this character. And our specimen is also a juvenile or ‘baby,’ so it’s perfect for our dinosaur species name to honor Dooly.”
The newly discovered dinosaur, scientifically named Doolysaurus huhmini, honors both the cartoon character Dooly and Min Huh, a Korean paleontologist recognized for his contributions over 30 years to studying Korean dinosaurs and preserving fossil sites with UNESCO. The fossil was discovered by Hyemin Jo in 2023 and is estimated to be about two years old at death—about the size of a turkey but possibly twice as large when fully grown.
Study co-author Julia Clarke described its appearance: “I think it would have been pretty cute. It might have looked a bit like a little lamb.” Analysis showed that dozens of gastroliths—pebbles swallowed to aid digestion—were present with the bones, suggesting an omnivorous diet including plants, insects, and small animals. Clarke said, “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.”
While South Korea is known for abundant trace fossils such as tracks and eggshells rather than bones themselves, Jung believes more discoveries may be possible using advanced scanning techniques: “We’re expecting some new dinosaur or other egg fossils to come from Aphae and other small islands,” he said.
