The mysterious creature was discovered in an abandoned electrical substation, with its flesh still intact.
An electrician in India made an incredible discovery over the weekend, when he unearthed the carcass of what appears to be a prehistoric animal.
The electrician was cleaning out an abandoned substation when he discovered the remains, which were extremely well preserved, and even had its flesh intact.
Scientists have begun studying the creature, though are still looking into its origins.
“It looks like a dinosaur, but we can’t say anything until all the tests are done,” said Parag Madhukar Dhakate, a conservator with the Indian Forest Service.
Though the shape of the animal resembles a dinosaur, scientists are still struggling to identify what specific type, if any, it is.
“Non-avian dinosaurs have been extinct for the past 65 million years but it does resemble theropods, a suborder of dinosaurs which included bipedal carnivores,” said Aaryan Kumar, a Ph.D student in Paleontology from Delhi University.
However, the fact that the carcass’ flesh was so well preserved, as well as its location, has raised a lot of questions.
“A dinosaur skeleton could not have been found in such a well-preserved condition after millions of years without it being in a fossilized state,” said Kumar. “The only even slightly possible way is it was chemically preserved to store it in a museum. But if that was the case, how did it end up here?”
The carcass is relatively small, reaching a length of just about 28 centimers, or a little under one foot. It has been sent to paleontologists at Kumaun University in Nainital, India, for further testing, including carbon dating.
As for what the animal could be, though tests have not yet been completed, rumors and theories are swirling. Some scientists believe that the creature is, in fact, a dinosaur, from the theropod family. Theropods include smaller dinosaurs such as the Anchiornis and the famous Tyrannosaurus-Rex.
Other scientists have put forth opposing theories, one of which suggests that the creature is most likely the distorted fetus of a prehistoric mammal from the goat family.