New Species of Dog-Sized Carnivorous Dinosaur Discovered in India – One of the Oldest on Earth

May 16, 2025 – A new species of carnivorous dinosaur has been unearthed in India, dating back approximately 220 million years, according to a report by The Sun. The dinosaur, named Maleriraptor kuttyi, was about the size of a large dog and is believed to be one of the earliest meat-eating dinosaurs ever discovered.

Despite its modest body mass, Maleriraptor kuttyi stood tall and showed traits of a formidable predator. Paleontologists have classified it as part of the Herrerasauria group - one of the oldest known clades of theropod dinosaurs. Until now, herrerasaurs had been predominantly found in South and North America, making this Indian discovery particularly significant and a major expansion of their known habitat range.

Experts suggest that during the Triassic period, the Indian subcontinent shared a similar climate with regions of South America. This may have allowed certain species to spread across what was then the supercontinent Pangaea, enabling their survival and diversification across vast territories.

Interestingly, researchers believe that these Indian specimens may have had a longer lifespan compared to their South American relatives - possibly due to more stable environmental conditions in ancient India.

This exciting find comes shortly after scientists revisited the remains of a horned dinosaur in Egypt's Bahariya Oasis, known as Tamraptorgrafi. Although most of the original fossils were destroyed during World War II, historical records and photographs by German paleontologist Ernst Stromer have allowed modern researchers to confirm that the Egyptian species was distinct from any previously known dinosaurs.