File photo. iStock/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — A newly unveiled dinosaur species was named for its striking resemblance to the supernatural monster Zuul from the 1984 hit film Ghostbusters. Who you gonna call? Dan Aykroyd, of course.
Aykroyd, one of the film’s stars, stopped by the Royal Ontario Museum to meet the beast face-to-face.
Huge thanks to Ghostbusters writer and star Dan Aykroyd for stopping by @ROMtoronto to meet our new #dinosaur Zuul crurivastator! #DinoZuul pic.twitter.com/pmEwGVHxwf
— ROM Palaeontology (@ROMPalaeo) May 10, 2017
Researchers debuted Zuul crurivastator, an armored dinosaur described as one of the most complete ankylosaur fossilized skeletal remains ever, unearthed from the Judith River Formation in Montana.
There is no Dana, only Zuul! @ROMPalaeo #Ghostbusters #SigourneyWeaver pic.twitter.com/wKxTW1Zxt1
— Danielle Dufault (@MesozoicMuse) May 9, 2017
The scientists said they first uncovered the perfectly preserved 6.7-foot-long spiked tail of the estimated 20-foot-long prehistoric beast, which they believe helped it defend itself from predators. The massive club-like tail inspired its name crurivastator, which literally translates to “Destroyer of Shins.”
But it was the dinosaur’s broad rounded snout and spiky headed skeleton that sparked its comparison with Zuul, the demonic character from the original Ghostbusters.
The nearly pristine dinosaur was preserved in a body of water and believed to have roamed the Earth approximately 75 million years ago.
Copyright © 2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.