New meat-eating dinosaur species named after a "Game of Thrones" dragon

A new dinosaur species has been discovered by paleontologists who have now named the giant carnivorous dinosaur species Meraxes gigas.

The species name, Meraxes gigas, was named after a dragon in the "Song of Ice and Fire" book series that inspired the TV show, "Game of Thrones."

The new species is similar to the Tyrannosaurus rex, with a large head and tiny arms.

According to the researchers' findings, published in Current Biology, the creatures' small forelimbs were no evolutionary accident, but rather gave apex predators of the time certain survival advantages.

The findings were obtained over a four-year period, as researchers conducted field expeditions in the northern Patagonia region of Argentina, starting with unearthing the skull which was found in 2012.

Source: ABC