Tachiraptor
Named for Táchira, the Venezuelan state where the fossils were found, combined with Latin 'raptor' meaning 'thief' or 'plunderer'; meaning 'thief from Táchira.'
Early Jurassic stages
Tachiraptor is a genus of carnivorous theropod dinosaurs found in the early Jurassic period La Quinta Formation of Venezuela. It includes one species, Tachiraptor admirabilis, described from a fossilized tibia and ischium. They were small bipedal dinosaurs, with a deduced total body length of just over 1.5 m (4.9 ft).
Diagnosis
- Caudolateral corner of fibular condyle forms sharp angle in proximal view and extends slightly more caudally than medial condyle
- Distal articulation of tibia more than 50% broader transversely than craniocaudally
- Craniocaudally narrow astragalar buttress that remains of subequal breadth throughout its width, with laterally placed bend in the buttress
- Line connecting outer and inner tibial malleoli in cranial view forms angle of approximately 80 degrees to long axis of bone
- Fibular crest connected to proximal end by well-defined ridge, lacking tetanuran condition
Species
Tachiraptor admirabilis Langer et al., 2014
Type species
Named in reference to the Admirable Campaign ('Campaña Admirable') of 1813, conducted by Simón Bolívar, for which the type locality of La Grita was of strategic importance.
- Holotype
- IVIC-P-2867 , Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Científicas
- Material
- Nearly complete right tibia and proximal left ischium.
- Horizon
- La Quinta Formation, Hettangian, Early Jurassic , 201.4–199.5 million years ago
- Locality
- secondary road about 4 km northwest of La Grita, next to the north of the type-section, Táchira, Venezuela
References
- Langer, M. C.; Rincón, A. D.; Ramezani, J.; Solórzano, A.; Rauhut, O. W. M. (2014). New dinosaur (Theropoda, stem-Averostra) from the earliest Jurassic of the La Quinta formation, Venezuelan Andes. Royal Society Open Science 1(2). The Royal Society. doi:10.1098/rsos.140184 langer2014a