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Patagonykus Puertai
''Patagonykus'' (meaning "Patagonian claw") is a genus of theropod dinosaur from the Upper Cretaceous of Argentina. This alvarezsauroid was discovered in exposures of the Portezuelo Formation (Turonian-Coniacian) of the Rio Neuquén Subgroup in the Neuquén Basin, Neuquen Province of Patagonia, Argentina. The holotype consists of an incomplete but well-preserved skeleton, lacking a skull, but including many vertebrae, the coracoids, a partial forelimb, pelvic girdle, and hindlimbs. ''Patagonykus'' has been classed with the Alvarezsauridae, a family which includes such taxa as the Mongolian ''Mononykus'' and the Argentinian ''Alvarezsaurus''. In 2010 Gregory S. Paul estimated its length at 1 meter (3.3 ft) and its weight at 3.5 kg (7.7 lbs). Classification Agnolin ''et al.'' (2012) originally placed ''Patagonykus'' within Alvarezsauridae, within the clade Patagonykinae as sister taxon to ''Bonapartenykus''. Makovicky, Apesteguía and Gianechini (2012) found it to be in a po ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Late Turonian
The Turonian is, in the ICS' geologic timescale, the second age in the Late Cretaceous Epoch, or a stage in the Upper Cretaceous Series. It spans the time between 93.9 ± 0.8 Ma and 89.8 ± 1 Ma (million years ago). The Turonian is preceded by the Cenomanian Stage and underlies the Coniacian Stage. At the beginning of the Turonian an oceanic anoxic event (OAE 2) took place, also referred to as the Cenomanian-Turonian boundary event or the "Bonarelli Event". Stratigraphic definition The Turonian (French: ''Turonien'') was defined by the French paleontologist Alcide d'Orbigny (1802–1857) in 1842. Orbigny named it after the French city of Tours in the region of Touraine (department Indre-et-Loire), which is the original type locality. The base of the Turonian Stage is defined as the place where the ammonite species '' Watinoceras devonense'' first appears in the stratigraphic column. The official reference profile (the GSSP) for the base of the Turonian is located in the Rock ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vertebrae
The spinal column, a defining synapomorphy shared by nearly all vertebrates,Hagfish are believed to have secondarily lost their spinal column is a moderately flexible series of vertebrae (singular vertebra), each constituting a characteristic irregular bone whose complex structure is composed primarily of bone, and secondarily of hyaline cartilage. They show variation in the proportion contributed by these two tissue types; such variations correlate on one hand with the cerebral/caudal rank (i.e., location within the vertebral column, backbone), and on the other with phylogenetic differences among the vertebrate taxon, taxa. The basic configuration of a vertebra varies, but the bone is its ''body'', with the central part of the body constituting the ''centrum''. The upper (closer to) and lower (further from), respectively, the cranium and its central nervous system surfaces of the vertebra body support attachment to the intervertebral discs. The posterior part of a vertebra fo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Alvarezsauroidea
Alvarezsauroidea is a group of small maniraptoran dinosaurs. Alvarezsauroidea, Alvarezsauridae, and Alvarezsauria are named for the historian Gregorio Álvarez, not the more familiar physicist Luis Alvarez, or his son geologist Walter Alvarez who jointly proposed that the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event was caused by an impact event. The group was first formally proposed by Choiniere and colleagues in 2010, to contain the family Alvarezsauridae and non-alvarezsaurid alvarezsauroids, such as ''Haplocheirus'',Choiniere, J.N., Xu, X., Clark, J.M., Forster, C.A., Guo, Y. and Han, F. (2010). "A basal alvarezsauroid theropod from the early Late Jurassic of Xinjiang, China." ''Science'', 327: 571-574. which is the basalmost of the Alvarezsauroidea (from the Late Jurassic, Asia). The discovery of ''Haplocheirus'' extended the stratigraphic evidence for the group Alvarezsauroidea about 63 million years further in the past. The division of Alvarezsauroidea into the Alvarezsau ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Albinykus
''Albinykus'' (meaning " Albin claw", after a term used by Mongolian shamans to describe light phenomena in the Gobi Desert) is a genus of alvarezsaurid dinosaur. Fossils have been found from Late Cretaceous-age (Santonian) Javkhlant Formation in the Gobi Desert of Mongolia. The type species ''A. baatar'' was named by Sterling J. Nesbitt, Julia A. Clarke, Alan H. Turner and Mark A. Norell in 2011. Estimated at under in weight, ''Albinykus'' was one of the smallest alvarezsaurs and among the smallest non avian dinosaurs. The body size of alvarezsaurs decreased throughout their evolutionary history, and ''Albinykus'' represents a particularly derived form. One distinguishing feature of ''Albinykus'' not seen in other alvarezsaurids is the complete fusion of the tarsals to other bones of the leg; the proximal tarsals are fused to the tibia bone of the lower leg and the distal tarsals are fused to the metatarsal bones of the foot. The holotype skeleton of ''Albinykus'', specimen IG ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Linhenykus
''Linhenykus'' is an extinct genus of alvarezsaurid theropod dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous of Inner Mongolia, China. It is the most basal known member of the Parvicursorinae. The genus gets its name from Linhe, a city near the site where the fossil was first found and Greek ''nykus'', "claw". The specific name is derived from Greek ''monos'', "single", and ''daktylos'', "finger", a reference to the fact that it is the only known non-avian dinosaur to have had but a single digit. Description ''Linhenykus'' was a small dinosaur, measuring long and weighing . Its femur length is . Alvarezsauroids are known for their short forelimbs, each with a single greatly enlarged second digit. Although alvarezsaurids were once thought to have only a single digit on each forelimb, more recent evidence has shown that most species have reduced third and fourth digits. ''Linhenykus'' is the first known alvarezsaurid to have only a single, second digit. Although a reduced third metacarpal ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Alnashetri
''Alnashetri'' is an extinct genus of alvarezsaurid coelurosaurian theropod dinosaur known from the early Late Cretaceous ( Cenomanian stage) of La Buitrera, Río Negro Province, Argentina. It contains one known species, ''Alnashetri cerropoliciensis''. Its remains were discovered in Candeleros Formation. Discovery ''Alnashetri'' is known only from the holotype MPCA-477, articulated hind limbs of a single individual. The holotype consists of a partial left femur, distal portions of left and right tibiae, right fibula, proximal tarsals of both ankles, a nearly complete right metatarsus, proximal and distal parts of the left metapodials and left pedal digit III. The specimen was collected at the "Hoyada de los esfenodontes" sublocality, part of the main fossiliferous locality of La Buitrera, about 30 km south of the village of El Chocόn in 2005. It was recovered from massive red sandstones that form the upper part of the Candeleros Formation of the Rio Limay Subgroup ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Polytomy
An internal node of a phylogenetic tree is described as a polytomy or multifurcation if (i) it is in a rooted tree and is linked to three or more child subtrees or (ii) it is in an unrooted tree and is attached to four or more branches. A tree that contains any multifurcations can be described as a multifurcating tree. Soft polytomies vs. hard polytomies Two types of polytomies are recognised, soft and hard polytomies. Soft polytomies are the result of insufficient phylogenetic information: though the lineages diverged at different times – meaning that some of these lineages are closer relatives than others, and the available data does not allow recognition of this. Most polytomies are soft, meaning that they would be resolved into a typical tree of dichotomies if better data were available. In contrast, a hard polytomy represents a true divergence event of three or more lineages. Applications Interpretations for a polytomy depend on the individuals, that are represe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bonapartenykus
''Bonapartenykus'' (meaning "José F. Bonaparte's claw") is a monospecific genus of alvarezsauroid dinosaur from Argentina that lived during the Late Cretaceous (Campanian-Maastrichtian) in what is now the upper Allen Formation of the Río Negro Province. The type and only species, ''Bonapartenykus ultimus'', is known from a nearly articulated but partial skeleton that was found in close association to two incomplete eggs and several clusters of eggshells belonging to the oogenus ''Arriagadoolithus''. ''Bonapartenykus'' was named in 2012 by Federico L. Agnolin, Jaime E. Powell, Fernando E. Novas and Martin Kundrát. ''Bonapartenykus'' has an estimated length of and weight of , making it the largest member of the clade Alvarezsauroidea. Discovery and Naming A partial skeleton of a theropod with eggs was collected in a surface of approximately 30 m2 in fluvial sandstones of the upper Allen Formation in northwestern Patagonia, Argentina. The locality has also produced specimens o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gregory S
Gregory may refer to: People and fictional characters * Gregory (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * Gregory (surname), a surname Places Australia *Gregory, Queensland, a town in the Shire of Burke **Electoral district of Gregory, Queensland, Australia *Gregory, Western Australia. United States *Gregory, South Dakota *Gregory, Tennessee *Gregory, Texas Outer space *Gregory (lunar crater) *Gregory (crater on Venus) Other uses * "Gregory" (''The Americans''), the third episode of the first season of the television series ''The Americans'' See also * Greg (other) * Greggory * Gregoire (other) * Gregor (other) * Gregores (other) * Gregorian (other) * Gregory County (other) * Gregory Highway, Queensland * Gregory National Park, Northern Territory * Gregory River in the Shire of Burke, Queensland * Justice Gregory (other) Justice Gregory may refer to: * ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Alvarezsaurus
''Alvarezsaurus'' (; "Alvarez's lizard") is a genus of alvarezsaurid dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous, living in Argentina approximately 86 - 83 million years ago. It was a small dinosaur, measuring long and weighing approximately . It was found in the Bajo de la Carpa Formation and was named by paleontologist José Bonaparte in 1991 after the historian Don Gregorio Alvarez. The type species is ''A. calvoi''. Description ''Alvarezsaurus'' was a bipedal theropod. Like other lightweight theropods, it had a long tail, and its leg structure suggests that it was a fast runner. The most proximal elements of ''Alvarezsaurus'' caudal vertebrae exhibited ventrally sharp centra and the transerve processes of these vertebrae were sub-triangular and laterodistally directed, features seen in other alvarezsaurids like ''Shuvuuia''. Spinal processes were entirely absent or poorly developed, and each caudal vertebra supported short prezygapophyses. The scapula was visibly curved and proporti ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mononykus
''Mononykus'' ( , sometimes ; meaning "one claw") is a genus of alvarezsaurid dinosaur that lived during the Late Cretaceous in what is now Asia on the Nemegt Formation, about 70 million years ago. ''Mononykus'' was a very small theropod, estimated around in length with a weight of . As in ''Shuvuuia'', ''Mononykus'' likely developed a shaggy feathering. It was lightly built with long, thin legs and highly reduced and specialized forelimbs that were likely used for foraging termite mounds or other insect colonies. History of discovery ''Mononykus'' is represented by a single holotype specimen, catalog number MPC-D 107/6 (formerly IGM 107/6). It was collected in 1987 from the Bügiin Tsav locality of the Nemegt Formation, Gobi Desert. This specimen consists of a partial skeleton lacking a tail, and only small fragments of skull bones, including a complete braincase. ''Mononykus'' was originally named ''Mononychus'' in 1993, but later that year, it was renamed because the origin ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mongolia
Mongolia; Mongolian script: , , ; lit. "Mongol Nation" or "State of Mongolia" () is a landlocked country in East Asia, bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south. It covers an area of , with a population of just 3.3 million, making it the world's most sparsely populated sovereign nation. Mongolia is the world's largest landlocked country that does not border a closed sea, and much of its area is covered by grassy steppe, with mountains to the north and west and the Gobi Desert to the south. Ulaanbaatar, the capital and largest city, is home to roughly half of the country's population. The territory of modern-day Mongolia has been ruled by various nomadic empires, including the Xiongnu, the Xianbei, the Rouran, the First Turkic Khaganate, and others. In 1206, Genghis Khan founded the Mongol Empire, which became the largest contiguous land empire in history. His grandson Kublai Khan conquered China proper and established the Yuan dynasty. After the co ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
