Open Paleo

Niebla

Aranciaga Rolando et al., 2020 nyeh-blah

From Spanish 'niebla' meaning 'mist', referring to the foggy days during the excavation of the fossil.

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

Niebla antiqua is an extinct species of abelisaurid theropod dinosaurs from the Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) of Río Negro province, Argentina. Niebla antiqua is the only species in the genus Niebla, known from a partial, non-articulated skeleton. The holotype, found in the Allen Formation, represents an adult individual about nine years old in minimum age.

Diagnosis

  1. Frontals with deep longitudinal groove surrounding the supraorbital swelling
  2. Anteroposteriorly elongate supratemporal fenestra
  3. Parietal with posterolaterally oriented parietal alae
  4. Nuchal wedge of supraoccipital bone subequal in dorsoventral depth to the dorsoventral height of the occipital condyle
  5. Associated groove of the postemporal foramen completely enclosed by parietal and exoccipital-opisthotic bones
  6. Bony plate below the occipital condyle subrectangular in contour and dorsoventrally taller than transversely wide

Species

Niebla antiqua Aranciaga Rolando et al., 2020

Type species

From Latin 'antiqua' meaning 'ancient' or 'old'.

Holotype
MPCN-PV-796 , Museo Patagónico de Ciencias Naturales
Material
Complete braincase, incomplete left dentary, isolated teeth, dorsal vertebral centra and ribs, and right scapulocoracoid
Horizon
upper Allen Formation, Maastrichtian, Late Cretaceous , 72.2–66.0 million years ago
Locality
Arriagada Farm, Río Negro, Argentina

References

  1. Aranciaga Rolando, M.; Cerroni, M. A.; García Marsà, J. A.; Agnolín, F. L.; Motta, M. J.; Rozadilla, S.; Brissón Egli, F.; Novas, F. E. (2020). A new medium-sized abelisaurid (Theropoda, Dinosauria) from the late cretaceous (Maastrichtian) Allen Formation of Northern Patagonia, Argentina. Journal of South American Earth Sciences 105. Elsevier BV. doi:10.1016/j.jsames.2020.102915 aranciagarolando2020a
  2. Jones, B. (2026). The Princeton Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs: Theropods. Princeton University Press.

    Source of the body length, mass, and hip height estimates, and the appearance features.

    jones2026c