Open Paleo

Itemirus

Kurzanov, 1976 ee-te-MEER-us

Named for the Itemir locality in Uzbekistan where the fossils were discovered.

93.9–89.8 million years ago Turonian, Late Cretaceous
Late Cretaceous stages

Itemirus is a genus of dromaeosaurid theropod dinosaur from the Turonian aged Bissekty Formation of the Late Cretaceous period of Uzbekistan.

Under dispute

Itemirus was erected on an isolated braincase and was long of uncertain affinity, originally placed in its own family (Kurzanov, 1976). Sues and Averianov (2014) recover it within Dromaeosaurinae, from the holotype alone and with referred material, whereas Longrich and Currie (2009) recover it as a velociraptorine, the sister of Velociraptor; the fragmentary type keeps the placement weakly constrained.

Species

Itemirus medullaris Kurzanov, 1976

Type species

From Latin 'medullaris' meaning 'of the marrow' or 'of the medulla', referring to the medulla oblongata, the part of the brain encased by the partial braincase holotype.

Holotype
PIN 327/699 , Paleontological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences
Horizon
Bissekty Formation, Turonian, Late Cretaceous , 93.9–89.8 million years ago
Locality
Dzharakuduk II, Navoiy, Uzbekistan The genus is named for Itemir, which is not where the holotype came from. Sues and Averianov (2014) trace the name to Rozhdestvensky confusing that locality complex with Dzharakuduk; Itemir lies in older beds.

References

  1. Kurzanov, S. M. (1976). Brain-case structure in the carnosaur Itemirus n. gen. and some aspects of the cranial anatomy of dinosaurs. Paleontological Journal 1976(3): 361-369. kurzanov1976a
  2. Jones, B. (2026). The Princeton Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs: Theropods. Princeton University Press.

    Source of the body length estimate.

    jones2026c
  3. Sues, H. D.; Averianov, A. (2014). Dromaeosauridae (Dinosauria: Theropoda) from the Bissekty Formation (Upper Cretaceous: Turonian) of Uzbekistan and the phylogenetic position of Itemirus medullaris Kurzanov, 1976. Cretaceous Research 51: 225-240. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2014.06.007

    Placed Itemirus within Dromaeosaurinae when analyses included referred material

    sues2014a
  4. Longrich, N. R.; Currie, P. J. (2009). A microraptorine (Dinosauria-Dromaeosauridae) from the Late Cretaceous of North America. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 106(13): 5002-5007. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. doi:10.1073/pnas.0811664106

    Recovered Itemirus as a velociraptorine, the sister of Velociraptor.

    longrich2009a