Open Paleo

Kurupi

Iori et al., 2021

Named for Kurupi, a god of fertility and sexuality from Guaraní mythology; chosen to reference the discovery of the holotype near a love hotel ('Motel Paraíso' / 'Paradise Motel').

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

Kurupi itaata is an extinct species of abelisaurid theropod dinosaurs from the Late Cretaceous Marília Formation of Brazil. It is the only species in the genus Kurupi.

Under dispute

Kurupi is a derived abelisaurid of uncertain subclade: Pol and colleagues (2024) list it among furileusaurians, but it is an unstable taxon and other treatments place it in an unresolved polytomy between Majungasaurinae and Brachyrostra.

Diagnosis

  1. First caudal vertebra with an anterolaterally projected triangular process placed below and at midlength of the anterior edge of the transverse process
  2. First caudal vertebra with a notch at the anterodistal portion of the transverse process, between a shelf-like process and the anterodistal corner of the transverse process
  3. Anterior caudal vertebrae with an anterodorsally projected cuneiform process on the dorsal surface of the transverse process, near the anterior base of the neural spine
  4. Inclination of the transverse processes increasing from about 20 to 35 degrees along the first third of the caudal series

Species

Kurupi itaata Iori et al., 2021

Type species

From the Tupi 'ita' meaning 'rock' and 'ata' meaning 'hard', in reference to the heavily cemented rocks in which the holotype was found.

Holotype
MPMA 27-0001/02 , Museu de Paleontologia "Prof
Material
Three incomplete caudal vertebrae, a partial pelvic girdle with fused ischia and part of one acetabular region, and two undetermined bones.
Horizon
Marília Formation, Maastrichtian, Late Cretaceous , 72.2–66.0 million years ago
Locality
Gaviões's Paleontological Site, São Paulo, Brazil

References

  1. Iori, F. V.; de Araújo-Júnior, H. I. de; Tavares, S. A. S.; Marinho, T. da S.; Martinelli, A. G. (2021). New theropod dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous of Brazil improves abelisaurid diversity. Journal of South American Earth Sciences 112. Elsevier BV. doi:10.1016/j.jsames.2021.103551 iori2021a
  2. Pol, D.; Baiano, M. A.; Černý, D.; Novas, F. E.; Cerda, I. A.; Pittman, M. (2024). A new abelisaurid dinosaur from the end Cretaceous of Patagonia and evolutionary rates among the Ceratosauria. Cladistics 40(3): 307-356. Wiley. doi:10.1111/cla.12583

    Listed Kurupi among furileusaurians and recovered it as an unstable taxon pruned from the consensus.

    pol2024a