Archaeologists working in Argentina have discovered dinosaur fossils that may shed light on a unique group of prehistoric sickle-clawed predators, a recent study published in PLOS One reports.
The bones come from a dinosaur known as Murusraptor barrosaensis, a large, 21-foot-long reptile that belonged to a carnivorous group of dinosaurs known as megaraptors. They were found in Sierra Barrosa — located in the northwest region of Patagonia — and make up one of the most complete megaraptor skeletons ever found.
Almost all previously discovered megaraptor fossils have been fragments. So, this partial skeleton gives researchers a much better picture of the ancient group. For example, the fossil has a complete brain case, which allows researchers to gather information about the dinosaur’s neurological development.
“Most of the different species known from this clade are based on rather fragmentary specimens. The Murusraptor specimen preserved the complete posterior half of the skull, several vertebrae, and pelvis bones, unveiling unknown areas of the skeleton of this group,” said lead author Rodolfo Coria, a paleontologist at Argentina’s Universidad Nacional de Río Negro, according to Reuters.
Murusraptor lived some 80 million years ago during the Cretaceous Period and had a much lighter build than other predators. Though it primarily hunted throughout Patagonia, remains of the species have also been found in both Australia and Japan.
Most predatory dinosaurs — such as Tyrannosaurus Rex — had small, almost useless arms. This is because they relied on their powerful jaws and large teeth to hunt. Megaraptors, however, were built in a completely different way.
Murusraptor had very strong arms tipped with sickle-like claws used to kill prey. They also had a lightly built skull, slender jaws studded with smaller teeth, and hollow bones. All these attributes worked together to create one of Patagonia’s most ferocious predators.
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