Scientists have described a brand new unenlagiine theropod taxon from Argentina. The brand new dinosaur has been named Diuqin lechiguanae. Its fossils come from the Bajo de la Carpa Formation of the Neuquén Basin of Neuquén Province in northern Patagonia. Diuqin lechiguanae has been described from fragmentary postcranial stays. A damaged tooth tentatively assigned to a megaraptor was present in shut proximity to the specimen. The left humerus (higher arm bone) has two, distinct puncture marks. These marks have been interpreted as potential proof of predation or autopsy feeding traces on the Diuqin carcase.
Diuqin lechiguanae life reconstruction. Image credit score: Hannah Jones and Andrew McAfee.
Diuqin lechiguanae
This carnivorous theropod measured round 2.5 to three metres in size. The researchers recognized a set of distinctive anatomical characters. This enabled them to confidently erect a brand new taxon. Diuqin lechiguanae had hole bones, and possibly an extended snout and jaws lined with quick, however sharp tooth.
The genus title is derived from the language of the indigenous Mapuce folks. It interprets as “chicken of prey”. The species title comes from “Lechiguana”, a witch within the 1975 horror movie “Nazareno Cruz y el Lobo”. This movie was directed by the eminent Argentinian filmmaker Leonardo Favio. The binomial scientific title interprets as “Lechiguana’s chicken of prey”.
D. lechiguanae is the primary unenlagiine to be described from fossils related to the Bajo de la Carpa Formation. It lived round 85 million years in the past (Santonian faunal stage of the Late Cretaceous). As such, it helps to plug a spot of a number of million years within the unenlagiine fossil document. This new dinosaur gives a recent perspective on the evolution of theropods in direction of the origin of in the present day’s birds.
The Unenlagiinae Subfamily
The Unenlagiinae are an enigmatic subfamily of theropod dinosaurs carefully associated to birds. Most palaeontologists take into account them to be a subfamily of the Dromaeosauridae. Nonetheless, their taxonomy stays controversial and extra fossil discoveries could problem this view. For instance, a revision based mostly on a extra full phylogenetic evaluation may result in their separation from the dromaeosaurids and the institution of the household Unenlagiidae.
The oldest recognized unenlagiine described thus far is Buitreraptor gonzalezorum. Buitreraptor was named and described in 2005. 4 fossil specimens of B. gonzalezorum have been excavated from deposits related to the Candeleros Formation (northern Patagonia). It’s believed to have roamed Argentina roughly 98 million years in the past (early Cenomanian faunal stage of the Late Cretaceous). The geologically youngest unenlagiine is the six-metre-long Austroraptor cabazai which, like Buitreraptor is understood from fossils discovered within the Neuquén Province of Argentina. Its fossils are related to the Allen Formation. Austroraptor lived round seventy million years in the past.
A mannequin of Buitreraptor gonzalezorum from the Beasts of the Mesozoic Wetlands Accent Pack.
The mannequin (above) is a illustration of Buitreraptor gonzalezorum, the oldest unenlagiine theropod described thus far. The determine is from the Beasts of the Mesozoic articulated fashions vary.
To view the vary of Beasts of the Mesozoic figures in inventory: Beasts of the Mesozoic Figures.
The Unenlagiinae subfamily was erected in 1999 by the distinguished Argentinian palaeontologist José Bonaparte (1999). It consists of a number of genera of small to medium-sized theropods and for the time-being they’re confined to the southern portion of the Gondwana landmass (Antarctica and South America). Their geographical and temporal distribution could change as fossil specimens from Europe, North America, Madagascar and Australia have been putatively assigned to the Unenlagiinae.
Diuqin lechiguanae and Different South American Theropods
Different dromaeosaurids from Neuquén Province embrace Pamparaptor micros, Unenlagia paynemili and Neuquenraptor argentinus. Each Unenlagia and Neuquenraptor are assigned to the Unenlagiinae, while the taxonomic placement of Pamparaptor as a member of the Unenlagiinae subfamily stays unsure.
To learn an article from 2021 in regards to the discovery of an unenlagiine theropod from south-eastern Brazil (Ypupiara lopai): New Fish-eating Dinosaur from Brazil.
For an article describing a basal member of the Dromaeosauridae from Mongolia (Halszkaraptor escuilliei) that led to a revision of the Dromaeosauridae household: The Outstanding Halszkaraptor.
An article on the weird and probably semi-aquatic Natovenator polydontus that illustrates the range of the Dromaeosauridae: New Analysis Means that Natovenator Hunted Fish.
Every thing Dinosaur acknowledges the help of Dr Juan Porfiri (Universidad Nacional del Comahue, Buenos Aires) within the compilation of this text.
The scientific paper: “Diuqin lechiguanae gen. et sp. nov., a brand new unenlagiine (Theropoda: Paraves) from the Bajo de la Carpa Formation (Neuquén Group, Higher Cretaceous) of Neuquén Province, Patagonia, Argentina” by Juan D. Porfiri, Mattia A. Baiano, Domenica D. dos Santos, Federico A. Gianechini, Michael Pittman and Matthew C. Lamanna revealed in BMC Ecology and Evolution.
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