Researchers have described a brand new theropod dinosaur from the Cerro del Pueblo Formation (Coahuila, northern Mexico). The dinosaur has been named Mexidracon longimanus. It’s the first ornithomimid to be named from fossils related to the Cerro del Pueblo Formation. Probably the most conspicuous traits of this new taxon are the exceptionally lengthy metacarpal bones. These are the bones that type the palm of the hand. The arms of Mexidracon longimanus had been lengthy and slender. Moreover, the arms had been longer than the humerus (higher arm bone). It isn’t identified what these slender arms had been used for, though it has been speculated that they helped this toothless dinosaur forage for meals.
A scale drawing of the newly described ornithomimid dinosaur from the Cerro del Pueblo Formation (Mexico). Though identified from solely fragmentary stays it’s thought this dinosaur was feathered. It’s estimated to have stood round one metre tall and measured two and half metres lengthy. Image credit score: Every part Dinosaur.
Image credit score: Every part Dinosaur
Mexidracon longimanus – the primary ornithomimid formally described from Coahuila
In 2014, Professor Claudio de León-Dávila collected postcranial ornithomimid stays from a deposit representing an estuary atmosphere. These fossils are presently housed within the assortment of the Benemérita Escuela Regular de Coahuila (BENC), a trainer coaching establishment in Coahuila state. Ornithomimosaur stays are comparatively frequent within the Campanian Cerro del Pueblo Formation, though a lot of the materials is very fragmentary.
Up to now just one different ornithomimosaur has been described from the area. Paraxenisaurus normalensis was scientifically described in 2020 (Serrano-Brañas et al). It’s represented by parts from the arms, limbs, together with the distal finish of a femur, and caudal vertebrae. P. normalensis is considered a lot bigger than the newly described Mexidracon. Furthermore, it has been tentatively assigned to the Deinocheiridae household inside the Ornithomimosauria clade. Whereas, Mexidracon longimanus has been assigned to a different household, the Ornithomimidae.
A mannequin of Deinocheirus. The determine is from the CollectA Age of Dinosaurs Widespread vary.
The picture (above) exhibits the CollectA Age of Dinosaurs Widespread Deinocheirus determine. It’s thought that Paraxenisaurus normalensis might have been associated to this Asian deinocheirid.
To view the CollectA Age of Dinosaurs Widespread vary obtainable from Every part Dinosaur: CollectA Prehistoric Animal Fashions.
The Etymology of a Dinosaur Title
The genus title is derived from the prefix “Mexi”, a reference to Mexico and the suffix “dracon”. That is from the Greek, and it means serpent or dragon. The species or trivial title interprets as “lengthy arms”. So, this new theropod’s title interprets as “long-handed Mexican dragon.”
The researchers conclude that the invention of the primary ornithomimid on this area of Mexico means that in the course of the Campanian faunal stage of the Cretaceous there was numerous totally different ornithomimosaurs current.
The scientific paper: “A protracted-handed new ornithomimid dinosaur from the Campanian (Higher Cretaceous) Cerro del Pueblo Formation, Coahuila, Mexico” by Claudia Inés Serrano-Brañas, Belinda Espinosa-Chávez, Claudio de León-Dávila, S. Augusta Maccracken, Daniela Barrera-Guevara, Esperanza Torres-Rodríguez and Albert Prieto-Márquez revealed in Cretaceous Analysis.
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