Aoniraptor

Aoniraptor
Temporal range: Late Cretaceous, 96–91 Ma
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Clade: Dinosauria
Order: Saurischia
Suborder: Theropoda
Family: Neovenatoridae
Clade: Megaraptora
Genus: Aoniraptor
Motta et al, 2016
Species: A. libertatem
Binomial name
Aoniraptor libertatem
Motta et al, 2016

Aoniraptor is a megaraptoran theropod from the Late Cretaceous of Argentina. It 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.[1] Aoniraptor may be synonymous with the newly described theropod Gualicho (also known from Huincul), due to the similarities of their caudal vertebrae.[2][3]

Etymology

Aoniraptor comes from the Tehuelche language word "Aoni", which means south, and the Latin word "raptor", meaning thief. The species name, libertatem, comes from the Latin word for freedom, as it was discovered on the bicentennial of Argentina's independence from Spain in 1810.

References

  1. Matías J. Motta, Alexis M. Aranciaga Rolando, Sebastián Rozadilla, Federico E. Agnolín, Nicolás R. Chimento, Federico Brissón Egli, and Fernando E. Novas (2016). "New theropod fauna from the Upper Cretaceous (Huincul Formation) of northwestern Patagonia, Argentina". New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science Bulletin. 71: 231–253.
  2. Mortimer, Mickey. "Is Gualicho Aoniraptor?". The Theropod Database Blog. Retrieved July 14, 2016.
  3. Cau, Andrea. "Nuovi resti di Aoniraptor? Ehm... Benvenuto Gualicho!". Theropoda. Retrieved July 14, 2016.
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