Open Paleo

Dineobellator

Jasinski et al., 2020 dih-NAY-oh-BEL-ah-tor /dɪˌneɪoʊbəˈleɪtər/

From Diné (the Navajo people's name for themselves, meaning 'the People') + Latin bellator, 'warrior'; means 'Diné warrior', honoring the Navajo Nation near the discovery site

72.2–66.0 million years ago Maastrichtian, Late Cretaceous
Late Cretaceous stages

Dineobellator is a genus of dromaeosaurid theropod dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian age) Ojo Alamo Formation (Naashoibito Member) of New Mexico, United States. The genus contains a single species, Dineobellator notohesperus, known from a partial skeleton.

Under dispute

Dineobellator is recovered as a North American velociraptorine, the sister of Tsaagan and Linheraptor, by its describers (Jasinski and colleagues, 2020), though on the Theropod Working Group matrix it falls in a large polytomy of dromaeosaurids.

Diagnosis

  1. Offset of lateral grooves on manual ungual, with medial groove not converging toward dorsal surface distally as the lateral groove does
  2. Distinct and conspicuous dorsomedial groove proximally dorsal to the articular surface on the manual ungual, not seen in other dromaeosaurids
  3. Sharp, acute angle of the distal deltopectoral crest of the humerus, unique among dromaeosaurids
  4. Opisthocoelous proximal caudal vertebrae, unknown in other dromaeosaurids
  5. Distinct round (subcircular) concavities on cranial and caudal centrum surfaces of mid-caudal vertebrae, symmetrical and not seen in other dromaeosaurids
  6. Secondary lateral grooves ventral to the main lateral grooves on pedal unguals, unique among dromaeosaurids

Species

Dineobellator notohesperus Jasinski et al., 2020

Type species

From Ancient Greek 'notos' (νότος) meaning 'southern' and 'hesperis' (Ἑσπερίς) meaning 'western', together meaning 'southwest', in reference to the American Southwest where the holotype was found.

Holotype
SMP VP-2430 , State Museum of Pennsylvania
Material
Disarticulated, associated partial skeleton: rostromedial right premaxilla, left maxilla fragment, tooth, left lacrimal process, left nasal fragment, right jugal, right basipterygoid, occipital condyle, vertebral elements (caudals 1 and mid-series, fused distal caudals), ribs, right humerus, right ulna, right metacarpal III, right manual ungual II, right femur, right metatarsals I-III, left astragalus, right pedal ungual III
Horizon
Naashoibito Member, Ojo Alamo Formation, Maastrichtian, Late Cretaceous , 72.2–66.0 million years ago
Locality
SMP 410b, New Mexico, United States

References

  1. Jasinski, S. E.; Sullivan, R. M.; Dodson, P. (2020). New Dromaeosaurid Dinosaur (Theropoda, Dromaeosauridae) from New Mexico and Biodiversity of Dromaeosaurids at the end of the Cretaceous. Scientific Reports 10(1). Springer Science and Business Media LLC. doi:10.1038/s41598-020-61480-7 jasinski2020a
  2. Paul, G. S. (2024). The Princeton Field Guide to Predatory Dinosaurs. Princeton University Press.

    Source of the appearance features.

    paul2024b
  3. Jones, B. (2026). The Princeton Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs: Theropods. Princeton University Press.

    Illustrated by E. Viola.

    jones2026c