Open Paleo

Kansaignathus

Averianov & Lopatin, 2021 /ˌkɛnsɑːiˈnɛiθəs/

Named for the area near the town of Konsoy ('Kansai' in Russian) in Tajikistan where it was discovered, combined with Greek 'gnathos' meaning 'jaw'.

85.7–83.6 million years ago Santonian, Late Cretaceous
Late Cretaceous stages

Kansaignathus is an extinct genus of dromaeosaurid theropod from the Late Cretaceous Yalovach Formation (or Ialovachsk Formation) of Tajikistan. The genus contains only one species, the type species, K. sogdianus. The generic name of Kansaignathus comes from near the town of Konsoy ("Kansai" in Russian) where it was discovered and the Greek word "gnathos" meaning "jaw". The specific epithet "sogdianus" is derived from the historical region of Sogdiana, which was an ancient name for the Fergana Valley region where the fossil was discovered. Kansaignathus is known from a single right dentary bone and a few post-cranial bone fragments. It was the first, and so far the only, dinosaur from Tajikistan to be described and named.

Under dispute

Kansaignathus is known only from an isolated dentary and was recovered as a basal velociraptorine by its describers (Averianov and Lopatin, 2021), a position appearing in most of their trees but resting on very limited character data. It is placed in Velociraptorinae following the describing analysis, with the fragmentary type noted.

Diagnosis

  1. Dentary high and thin labiolingually with nearly parallel dorsal and ventral edges
  2. Two parallel rows of large vascular foramina on labial side; dorsal row nearly entire length, ventral row approximately one-third length near ventral margin
  3. Distinct chin prominence in symphysial region
  4. Concave dorsal margin and convex ventral margin of dentary
  5. Interdental laminae not discernible and completely fused with dentary

Species

Kansaignathus sogdianus Averianov & Lopatin, 2021

Type species

Named for Sogdiana, the historical region and ancient name for the Fergana Valley area of Tajikistan where the fossil was discovered.

Holotype
PIN 2398/15 , Paleontological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences
Material
Right dentary
Horizon
Yalovach Formation, Santonian, Late Cretaceous , 85.7–83.6 million years ago
Locality
Kansai, Sughd, Tajikistan

References

  1. Averianov, A. O.; Lopatin, A. V. (2021). A New Theropod Dinosaur (Theropoda, Dromaeosauridae) from the Late Cretaceous of Tajikistan. Doklady Earth Sciences 499(1): 570-574. Pleiades Publishing Ltd. doi:10.1134/s1028334x21070047 averianov2021a
  2. Jones, B. (2026). The Princeton Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs: Theropods. Princeton University Press.

    Source of the appearance features.

    jones2026c