New Species of ‘Baby’ Dinosaur Discovered in South Korea Named After Iconic Cartoon Character

Paleontologists name a new baby dinosaur species after a famous Korean cartoon, using CT scans to reveal the first dinosaur skull found in South Korea.

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 19, 2026, 8:00 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from University of Texas at Austin

A Scientific Tribute to South Korean Pop Culture

The discovery of a remarkably preserved juvenile dinosaur on South Korea’s Aphae Island has led researchers to name the species after Dooly the Little Dinosaur, a beloved green cartoon character. Jongyun Jung, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Texas Jackson School of Geosciences, noted that the specimen’s status as a juvenile made the tribute particularly appropriate. Known officially as Doolysaurus huhmini, the find marks a significant milestone in regional paleontology, as it is the first new dinosaur species identified in the country since 2011.

Hidden Anatomy Revealed Through X-Ray Technology

While the fossil was initially thought to contain only basic limb and spinal fragments, high-resolution X-ray computed tomography at the UTCT facility in Texas revealed a far more complex skeleton. The scans uncovered portions of the skull, which are exceptionally rare in the Korean fossil record due to the hardness of the surrounding rock. Julia Clarke, a professor at the Jackson School, emphasized that CT technology has become an essential tool for documenting delicate specimens without the decade-long labor typically required for manual excavation.

Biological Profile of a Cretaceous Juvenile

The recovered specimen is estimated to have been approximately two years old and roughly the size of a turkey at the time of its death. Based on femur growth markers and skeletal anatomy, Doolysaurus has been classified as a thescelosaurid, a bipedal dinosaur group known to inhabit East Asia and North America during the mid-Cretaceous period, roughly 113 to 94 million years ago. Researchers suggest the animal may have possessed a coat of fuzzy filaments, giving it an appearance that Clarke compared to a small, prehistoric lamb.