Paralitherizinosaurus
From Greek 'paralos' meaning 'tidal', Greek 'therizo' meaning 'scythe', and Latin 'sauros' meaning 'lizard', giving the meaning 'tidal scythe lizard', referring to its coastal habitat and scythe-like claws.
Late Cretaceous stages
Paralitherizinosaurus is an extinct genus of therizinosaurid theropod dinosaurs from the Late Cretaceous Osoushinai Formation of Hokkaido, Japan. The genus contains a single species, Paralitherizinosaurus japonicus, known from a partial right hand and cervical vertebra. Paralitherizinosaurus represents the youngest therizinosaur known from Japan.
Diagnosis
- Dorsoventrally flattened metacarpal I with dorsoventral height less than half transverse width
- No rotation of distal end axis of metacarpal I
- Proximodorsally projecting dorsal lip in digits I and III
- Shallow depression at proximal portion of ungual III-4 connecting to collateral groove
- Proximally extending ventral process on unguals
- Weak flexor tubercle expressed as small ridge
Species
Paralitherizinosaurus japonicus Kobayashi et al., 2022
Type species
From Latin 'japonicus' meaning 'Japanese', referring to the taxon's discovery in Japan.
- Holotype
- NMV-52 , Nakagawa Museum of Natural History
- Material
- Forelimb elements
- Horizon
- Osoushinai Formation, Campanian, Late Cretaceous , 83.6–72.2 million years ago
- Locality
- Confluence of Rubeshibe River and 36 Ten-zawa Creek, Hokkaidō, Japan
References
- Kobayashi, Y.; Takasaki, R.; Fiorillo, A. R.; Chinzorig, T.; Hikida, Y. (2022). New therizinosaurid dinosaur from the marine Osoushinai Formation (Upper Cretaceous, Japan) provides insight for function and evolution of therizinosaur claws. Scientific Reports 12(1). Springer Science and Business Media LLC. doi:10.1038/s41598-022-11063-5 kobayashi2022a
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Jones, B. (2026). The Princeton Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs: Theropods. Princeton University Press.
Source of the body length estimate, and the appearance features.
jones2026c