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Dinosaur could have been a pet
Image: Tyler Keillor
New species of dinosaur discovered

A newly-discovered fanged dwarf dinosaur, called the Pegomastax africanus, would have been a nice pet, according to the scientist that discovered it.

The fossil was originally chipped out of red rock in the 1960s but was discovered by palaeontologist and professor at the university of Chicago, Paul Sereno, who is also National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence, in a collection of fossils at Harvard University.

Sereno published his study of the dinosaur, nicknamed thick-jaw from Africa, in the ZooKeys online journal. He said that the dinosaur lived along forested rivers in southern Africa about 200 million years ago, at the very beginning of the dinosaur era.

It is thought that the Pegomastax had reptile scales, porcupine-like quills, a blunt, parrot-like beak and was about the size of a domestic cat - growing to around 0.6 metres (2ft) long. The dinosaur was part of the Heterodontosaurus family and was a herbivore, with fangs used for self-defence and competition for mates, as opposed to meat-eating.

Professor Sereno said: "It would be a nice pet - if you could train it not to nip you."

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FIVP launches CMA remedies survey

News Story 1
 FIVP has shared a survey, inviting those working in independent practice to share their views on the CMA's proposed remedies.

The Impact Assessment will help inform the group's response to the CMA, as it prepares to submit further evidence to the Inquiry Group. FIVP will also be attending a hearing in November.

Data will be anonymised and used solely for FIVP's response to the CMA. The survey will close on Friday, 31 October 2025. 

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News Shorts
CMA to host webinar exploring provisional decisions

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is to host a webinar for veterinary professionals to explain the details of its provisional decisions, released on 15 October 2025.

The webinar will take place on Wednesday, 29 October 2025 from 1.00pm to 2.00pm.

Officials will discuss the changes which those in practice may need to make if the provisional remedies go ahead. They will also share what happens next with the investigation.

The CMA will be answering questions from the main parties of the investigation, as well as other questions submitted ahead of the webinar.

Attendees can register here before Wednesday, 29 October at 11am. Questions must be submitted before 10am on 27 October.

A recording of the webinar will be accessible after the event.