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Megaraptorans
Megaraptora is a clade of carnivorous tetanuran theropod dinosaurs with controversial relations to other theropods. Its derived members, the Megaraptoridae are noted for their elongated hand claws and proportionally large arms, which are usually reduced in size in other large theropods. Megaraptorans are incompletely known, and no complete megaraptoran skeleton has been found. However, they still possessed a number of unique features. Their forelimbs were large and strongly built, and the ulna bone had a unique shape in members of the family Megaraptoridae, a subset of megaraptorans which excludes ''Fukuiraptor'' and ''Phuwiangvenator''. The first two fingers were elongated, with massive curved claws, while the third finger was small. Megaraptoran skull material is very incomplete, but a juvenile ''Megaraptor'' described in 2014 preserved a portion of the snout, which was long and slender. Leg bones referred to megaraptorans were also quite slender and similar to those of coelu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Aerosteon
''Aerosteon'' is a genus of megaraptoran dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous period of Argentina. Its remains were discovered in 1996 in the Anacleto Formation, which is from the late Campanian. The type and only known species is ''A. riocoloradensis''. Its specific name indicates that its remains were found 1 km (0.6 miles) north of the Río Colorado, in Mendoza Province, Argentina. They show evidence of a bird-like respiratory system. ''Aerosteons name can be translated as ''air bone'' and derives from Greek ἀήρ (''aer'', "air") and ὀστέον (''osteon'', "bone"). Discovery ''Aerosteon'' was first discovered in 1996 and was first described by Sereno ''et al.'' in a paper which appeared in the online journal PLoS ONE in September 2008. However, at the time, the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature did not recognize online publication of names for new species as valid unless print copies were also produced and distributed to several libraries, and that t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Megaraptor
''Megaraptor'' () is a genus of large theropod dinosaur that lived in the ages of the Late Cretaceous. Its fossils have been discovered in the Patagonian Portezuelo Formation of Argentina, South America. Initially thought to have been a giant dromaeosaur-like coelurosaur, it was classified as a neovenatorid allosauroid in previous phylogenies, but more recent phylogeny and discoveries of related megaraptoran genera has placed it as either a basal tyrannosauroid or a basal coelurosaur with some studies still considering it a neovenatorid. Description ''Megaraptor'' was initially described as a giant dromaeosaur, known primarily from a single claw (about 30 cm long) that resembled the sickle-shaped foot claw of dromaeosaurids. The discovery of a complete front limb, however, showed that this giant claw actually came from the first finger of the hand. In 2010, Gregory S. Paul estimated its length at , its weight at . The hands were unusually elongated, bearing sickle-shaped ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tratayenia
''Tratayenia'' is an extinct genus of megaraptoran theropod dinosaurs known from remains found in the Santonian-age Bajo de la Carpa Formation of Argentina. The type and only species, ''Tratayenia rosalesi'', was described in March 2018. ''Tratayenia'' can be distinguished from other megaraptorans on the basis of three autapomorphies (unique derived features) of the front portion of each dorsal vertebra, as well as a single autapomorphy of the sacrum. ''Tratayenia'' is one of the youngest known genera of megaraptorans, having lived only about 83 million years ago. Discovery and naming The holotype consists of a well-preserved partial skeleton, MUCPv 1162, which includes several articulated portions of the backbone. One portion of the skeleton is a string of five dorsal vertebrae, likely the seventh to eleventh dorsals. The largest articulated portion of the skeleton is a string of vertebrae including the last two dorsals as well as the five sacrals and much of the right ilium. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Megaraptor Namunhuaiquii
''Megaraptor'' () is a genus of large theropod dinosaur that lived in the ages of the Late Cretaceous. Its fossils have been discovered in the Patagonian Portezuelo Formation of Argentina, South America. Initially thought to have been a giant dromaeosaur-like coelurosaur, it was classified as a neovenatorid allosauroid in previous phylogenies, but more recent phylogeny and discoveries of related megaraptoran genera has placed it as either a basal tyrannosauroid or a basal coelurosaur with some studies still considering it a neovenatorid. Description ''Megaraptor'' was initially described as a giant dromaeosaur, known primarily from a single claw (about 30 cm long) that resembled the sickle-shaped foot claw of dromaeosaurids. The discovery of a complete front limb, however, showed that this giant claw actually came from the first finger of the hand. In 2010, Gregory S. Paul estimated its length at , its weight at . The hands were unusually elongated, bearing sickle-shaped ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fukuiraptor
''Fukuiraptor'' ("thief of Fukui") was a medium-sized megaraptoran theropod dinosaur of the Early Cretaceous epoch (either Barremian or Aptian) that lived in what is now Japan. ''Fukuiraptor'' is known from the Kitadani Formation and possibly also the Sebayashi Formation. Description and history The type specimen is a partial skeleton (designated FPDM-V97122) discovered in the Kitadani quarry near Katsuyama in the Fukui prefecture. It is thought that this specimen was not mature and an adult may have been larger. The remains of many other individuals have been found in the quarry, with numerous humeri, femurs, and teeth being assigned to this species. However, the other individuals recovered from the same locality are mostly juveniles that were smaller than the holotype (Currie & Azuma, 2006), in the smallest case less than a quarter of the holotype's size. A tooth (NDC-P0001) discovered in a block of conglomerate from the Sebayashi Formation has been referred to ''F ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Australovenator
''Australovenator'' (meaning "southern hunter") is a genus of megaraptoran theropod dinosaur from Cenomanian (Late Cretaceous)-age Winton Formation (dated to 95 million years ago) of Australia. It is known from partial cranial and postcranial remains which were described in 2009 by Scott Hocknull and colleagues, although additional descriptions and analyses continue to be published. It is the most complete predatory dinosaur discovered in Australia. It has been suggested that ''Australovenator'' is a sister taxon to ''Fukuiraptor'', although some phylogenetic analyses find it to be a more derived member of the Megaraptora, possibly being part of the main Megaraptoridae family itself. History of discovery ''Australovenator'' is based on a theropod specimen ( AODF 604), affectionately nicknamed "Banjo" after Banjo Paterson, which was found intermingled with the remains of the sauropod ''Diamantinasaurus matildae'' at the "Matilda site" ( AODL 85). The parts of the holot ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Orkoraptor
''Orkoraptor'' is a genus of medium-sized megaraptoran theropod dinosaur from the late Cretaceous Period of Argentina. It is known from incomplete fossil remains including parts of the skull, teeth, tail vertebrae, and a partial tibia. The specialized teeth resemble those of some maniraptoriform theropods, namely the Deinonychosauria, deinonychosaurs and Compsognathidae, compsognathids. This and other anatomical features led the authors who described it (Novas, Ezcurra, and Lecuona) to suggest that it was a maniraptoran Coelurosauria, coelurosaur. However, subsequent studies found it to be a megaraptoran. Found in the Cerro Fortaleza Formation of Southern Patagonia, it is one of the southernmost carnivorous dinosaurs known from South America. Etymology The name ''Orkoraptor'' means "Toothed River thief", and was derived from the Tehuelche language, Aoniken "Orr-Korr", the local name for the La Leona River, located near the original fossil site. The species name honors Coleman Bu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Maip
''Maip'' is a genus of large megaraptorid theropod dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) Chorrillo Formation of Santa Cruz, Argentina. The genus contains a single species, ''M. macrothorax'', known from an incomplete, disarticulated skeleton. ''Maip'' may represent the largest megaraptorid known from South America, and possibly the world. Discovery and naming The ''Maip'' holotype specimen, MPM 21545, was discovered by Alexis Rolando on the La Anita Farm, west of El Calafate, Santa Cruz province, Argentina, in 2019. The specimen was found disarticulated but in association over an area of . The known fossil material consists of the axis, several dorsal and caudal vertebrae, cervical and dorsal ribs, gastralia, a left coracoid, fragmentary scapula, partial right pubis, and partial metatarsal. Some of these bones were described in 2019 by Novas ''et al''. The holotype specimen includes some bones previously unknown in other megaraptorids. Although fragmentary, it r ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Neovenatoridae
Neovenatoridae is a proposed clade of carcharodontosaurian dinosaurs uniting some primitive members of the group such as ''Neovenator'' with the Megaraptora, a group of theropods with controversial affinities. Other studies recover megaraptorans as basal coelurosaurs unrelated to carcharodontosaurs. Other theropods with uncertain affinities such as ''Gualicho'', ''Chilantaisaurus'' and ''Deltadromeus'' are also sometimes included. Classification Phylogenetic studies conducted by Benson, Carrano and Brusatte (2010) and Carrano, Benson and Sampson (2012) recovered the group Megaraptora as members of the Neovenatoridae. This would make neovenatorids the latest-surviving allosauroids; at least one megaraptoran, ''Orkoraptor'', lived near the end of the Mesozoic era, dating to the early Maastrichtian stage of the latest Cretaceous period, about 70 million years ago. On the other hand, Novas ''et al.'' (2012), while confirming that ''Neovenator'' was closely related to carcharodontosau ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rapator
''Rapator'' is a genus of theropod dinosaur from the Griman Creek Formation of New South Wales, Australia, dating to the Albian-Cenomanian ages of the Cretaceous period, 105-96 million years ago. It contains only the type species, ''Rapator ornitholestoides'', which was originally named by Friedrich von Huene in 1932.Huene, F. von. (1932). ''Die fossile Reptil-Ordnung Saurischia, ihre Entwicklung und Geschichte''. Monogr. Geol. Pal. 4 (1) pts. 1 and 2, viii + 361 pp. Discovery The holotype and only known specimen, BMNH R3718, consists of a single left hand bone, discovered around 1905 near Wollaston, on Lightning Ridge. The fossil has been opalised. The meaning of the generic name is problematic. Von Huene gave no etymology. "Rapator" does not exist in Classical Latin and occurs only very rarely in Mediaeval Latin with the meaning "violator". One possible explanation is that von Huene, having been influenced by Latin ''raptare'', "to plunder", mistakenly thought such a word actu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Phuwiangvenator
''Phuwiangvenator'' ("hunter of Phu Wiang") is a genus of 6 meter long megaraptoran theropod that lived during the Early Cretaceous period in what is now Thailand. It contains a single species, ''P. yaemniyomi'', recovered from the Sao Khua Formation. The holotype A holotype is a single physical example (or illustration) of an organism, known to have been used when the species (or lower-ranked taxon) was formally described. It is either the single such physical example (or illustration) or one of several ... was first found in 1993, before being named in 2019. The holotype specimen consists of a partial skeleton consisting of a dorsal vertebra, three fused sacral vertebrae, right metacarpal II, right manual phalanges and unguals, right and left tibiae, left astragalocalcaneum, left metatarsal I, right metatarsals II–IV, right pedal phalanges and unguals, with a referred specimen including an atlantal intercentrum and right astragalocalcaneum which were found together. In t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Aoniraptor
''Aoniraptor'' is a megaraptoran theropod from the Late Cretaceous of Argentina (Huincul Formation). Discovery and naming The holotype, MPCA-Pv 804/1 to 804/25, which consists of the last sacral vertebra, six proximal caudal vertebrae, four mid-caudal vertebrae, and five haemal arches, was recovered by Matias Motta from the Violante Farm, part of the Huincul Formation. It was discovered in 2010, but only formally described in 2016. ''Aoniraptor'' has been considered as synonymous with the theropod ''Gualicho'', described from the same formation, due to the similarities of their caudal vertebrae. If found to be true, the name ''Gualicho'' would have precedent. Aranciaga Rolando ''et al.'' in 2020 performed a comparative analysis between ''Aoniraptor'' and ''Gualicho,'' and found many differences between the two. Description ''Aoniraptor'' grew up to long and likely weighed up to when fully grown. Etymology ''Aoniraptor'' comes from the Tehuelche language word "Aoni", which ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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