Open Paleo

Minqaria

Longrich et al., 2024 min-kwah-ree-uh

From Arabic 'minqaria' meaning 'beak', a reference to the beak-like nature of the hadrosaurid jaw.

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

Minqaria is a genus of lambeosaurine dinosaurs from the Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) Ouled Abdoun Basin of Morocco. The genus contains a single species, Minqaria bata, known from a partial skull.

Diagnosis

  1. Jugal articulation lies very low on maxilla (autapomorphic within Lambeosaurinae)
  2. Ectopterygoid ridge concave in lateral and dorsal views, narrower posteriorly than anteriorly
  3. Neurovascular foramina arranged in a row
  4. Highly domed frontoparietal with extensive parietal contribution to dome and triangular parietal table
  5. Maxillary toothrow sinusoidal in lateral or ventral views with deep buccal fossa
  6. Dentary short and deep with straight occlusal margin and strongly extended symphyseal process

Species

Minqaria bata Longrich et al., 2024

Type species

From Arabic 'bata' meaning 'duck', a reference to the duck-like beak of the hadrosaur.

Holotype
MHNM.KHG.1395 , Muséum d'Histoire Naturelle de Marrakech
Material
Right maxilla with teeth, left dentary, and braincase
Horizon
upper Couche III Member, Phosphates of the Oulad Abdoun Basin Formation, Maastrichtian, Late Cretaceous , 72.2–66.0 million years ago
Locality
Sidi Chennane, Khouribga, Morocco

References

  1. Longrich, N. R.; Pereda-Suberbiola, X.; Bardet, N.; Jalil, N. E. (2024). A new small duckbilled dinosaur (Hadrosauridae: Lambeosaurinae) from Morocco and dinosaur diversity in the late Maastrichtian of North Africa. Scientific Reports 14(1). Springer Science and Business Media LLC. doi:10.1038/s41598-024-53447-9 longrich2024a
  2. Jones, B. (2026). The Princeton Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs: Ornithischians. Princeton University Press.

    Source of the appearance features.

    jones2026a