Bannykus
From Mandarin Chinese ban (半) meaning 'half' combined with Greek onyx meaning 'claw'. Full meaning: 'half claw', referring to the transitional characteristics of this theropod's claws.
Early Cretaceous stages
Bannykus is an extinct genus of alvarezsauroid from the Early Cretaceous Bayin-Gobi Formation of Inner Mongolia, China. It includes one species, Bannykus wulatensis.
Diagnosis
- Notch between basal tubera nearly absent
- Surangular foramen large
- Posterior dorsal vertebrae with distal ends of transverse processes strongly expanded in posterior direction
- Humeral internal tuberosity deflected posteriorly
- Well-developed facet on lateral surface of metacarpal II for articulation with metacarpal III
- Metacarpal III curved medially
Species
Bannykus wulatensis Xu et al., 2018
Type species
Named for Wulatehouqi (Wulate Rear Banner), the county in Inner Mongolia, China, where the holotype was found.
- Holotype
- IVPP V25026 , Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology
- Material
- Partial, semi-articulated skeleton
- Horizon
- Bayin-Gobi Formation, Aptian, Early Cretaceous , 121.4–113.2 million years ago
- Locality
- Chaoge, Inner Mongolia, China
Synonyms of the genus
| Name | Type | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Wulatesaurus | informal | Unofficial name given to the specimen before its formal description as Bannykus. |
References
- Xu, X.; Choiniere, J.; Tan, Q.; Benson, R. B. J.; Clark, J.; Sullivan, C.; Zhao, Q.; Han, F.; Ma, Q.; He, Y.; Wang, S.; Xing, H.; Tan, L. (2018). Two Early Cretaceous Fossils Document Transitional Stages in Alvarezsaurian Dinosaur Evolution. Current Biology 28(17): 2853-2860.e3. Elsevier BV. doi:10.1016/j.cub.2018.07.057 xu2018c
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Paul, G. S. (2024). The Princeton Field Guide to Dinosaurs (3rd ed.). Princeton University Press.
Source of the appearance features.
paul2024a