The creature, now affectionately named the Doolysaurus, was discovered on South Korea’s Aphae Island.
AUSTIN, Texas — A new dinosaur species discovered in South Korea is now being named after a beloved Korean cartoon character.
Researchers from the University of Texas at Austin helped identify the baby dinosaur along with the Korean Dinosaur Research Center. The creature, now affectionately named the Doolysaurus, was discovered on South Korea’s Aphae Island and was subsequently scanned using the university’s high-resolution X-ray facility.
Scientifically known as Doolysaurus huhmini, the fossil was first discovered in 2023 by Korean scientist Hyemin Jo, a researcher at the dinosaur center. Scientists say the 2-year-old creature was about the size of a turkey and was still growing at the time of its death, and may have had a furry coat.
The creature’s namesake, Dooly, is the main character of the popular South Korean cartoon “Dooly the Little Dinosaur.” The character is described as a 4-foot, 6-inch tall green Ceratosaurus with an oversized head and a facial expression that rarely ever changes.
The discovery marks the first new dinosaur species discovered in Korea in 15 years, with the research published in the scientific journal “Fossil Record” on March 19. The full study can be read here.