Neuquenraptor
Meaning 'Neuquén thief'; from Neuquén Province, Argentina, where it was found, combined with Latin raptor ('thief' or 'plunderer')
Neuquenraptor is a genus of unenlagiine theropod dinosaurs that lived in South America during the Late Cretaceous in what is now the Portezuelo Formation of Argentina. It is one of the first dromaeosaurids found in the Southern Hemisphere.
Under dispute
Neuquenraptor was described as a basal dromaeosaurid (Novas and Pol, 2005) and later grouped with the unenlagiines (Agnolín and Novas, 2013). Makovicky and colleagues (2005) suggested it may be congeneric with Unenlagia comahuensis, and many analyses since merge the two into one terminal (Norell and colleagues, 2006; Turner and colleagues, 2012; Pei and colleagues, 2020), while others keep them separate. It is retained as a valid unenlagiine pending resolution of the synonymy.
Diagnosis
- Metatarsal II with lateral expansion over caudal surface of metatarsal III (autapomorphic)
- Metatarsal III proximally pinched
- Extensor sulcus on proximal half of metatarsus
- Distal end of metatarsal III incipiently ginglymoid (lesser degree than other dromaeosaurids)
- Pedal digit II with phalanges 1 and 2 sub-equal in length bearing trenchant ungual phalanx
Species
Neuquenraptor argentinus Novas & Pol, 2005 Disputed
Type species
Named for Argentina, the country where the holotype was discovered, with the Latin suffix '-inus' meaning 'of' or 'from'.
- Holotype
- MCF-PVPH 77 , Museo ‘Carmen Funes’, Plaza Huincul
- Material
- Cervical vertebra, dorsal ribs, haemal arches, left proximal radius, right femur and distal tibia, proximal tarsals, most of left foot.
- Horizon
- Portezuelo Formation, Turonian–Coniacian, Late Cretaceous , 93.9–85.7 million years ago
- Locality
- Sierra del Portezuelo, Neuquén, Argentina
Synonyms of the genus
| Name | Type | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Araucanoraptor | informal | Informal name reported at a 1997 Society of Vertebrate Paleontology conference; the taxon was ultimately formally described as Neuquenraptor. |
References
- Novas, F. E.; Pol, D. (2005). New evidence on deinonychosaurian dinosaurs from the Late Cretaceous of Patagonia. Nature 433(7028): 858-861. Springer Science and Business Media LLC. doi:10.1038/nature03285 novas2005c
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Jones, B. (2026). The Princeton Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs: Theropods. Princeton University Press.
Source of the hip height estimate.
jones2026c -
Agnolín, F. L.; Novas, F. E. (2013). Avian Ancestors. SpringerBriefs in Earth System Sciences. Springer Netherlands. doi:10.1007/978-94-007-5637-3
Recovered Neuquenraptor as an unenlagiine.
agnolín2013a -
Makovicky, P. J.; Apesteguía, S.; Agnolín, F. L. (2005). The earliest dromaeosaurid theropod from South America. Nature 437(7061): 1007-1011. Springer Science and Business Media LLC. doi:10.1038/nature03996
Suggested Neuquenraptor and Unenlagia may be congeneric.
makovicky2005a -
Norell, M. A.; Clark, J. M.; Turner, A. H.; Makovicky, P. J.; Barsbold, R.; Rowe, T. (2006). A new dromaeosaurid theropod from Ukhaa Tolgod (Ömnögov, Mongolia). American Museum Novitates 3545(1): 1-51. American Museum of Natural History (BioOne sponsored). doi:10.1206/0003-0082(2006)3545[1:andtfu]2.0.co;2
Treated Neuquenraptor as a junior synonym of Unenlagia, merging their scores.
norell2006a -
Turner, A. H.; Makovicky, P. J.; Norell, M. A. (2012). A Review of Dromaeosaurid Systematics and Paravian Phylogeny. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 371: 1-206. doi:10.1206/748.1
Merged Neuquenraptor and Unenlagia in its primary analysis.
turner2012a -
Pei, R.; Pittman, M.; Goloboff, P. A.; Dececchi, T. A.; Habib, M. B.; Kaye, T. G.; Larsson, H. C. E.; Norell, M. A.; Brusatte, S. L.; Xu, X. (2020). Potential for Powered Flight Neared by Most Close Avialan Relatives, but Few Crossed Its Thresholds. Current Biology 30(20): 4033-4046.e8. Elsevier BV. doi:10.1016/j.cub.2020.06.105
Scored Neuquenraptor and Unenlagia as one terminal.
pei2020a