Variraptor
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 |
||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Extinct (fossil)
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
| Scientific classification | ||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
| Variraptor mechinorum Le Loeuff & Buffetaut, 1998 |
Variraptor (VAHR-i-RAP-tor - (Latin) Varus for a name of a river + (Latin) raptor meaning "thief") named after the Var River and the Var Department in the Provence region of southern France, to indicate a maniraptoran theropod found in the Gres a Reptiles Formation at La Bastide Neuve, near Fox-Amphoux (Var, France) were discovered by Le Leouff & Buffetaut in 1998. Based on a posterior dorsal vertebra (MDE-D168) and a sacrum (MDE-D169) with 5 fused vertebrae; additional referred material includes a right humerus (MDE-D158) with a delto-pectoral crest more developed than in any other theropod known, suggesting a strong raptorial function for the forearm. Other attributed bones include a femur, and various vertebrae. The incomplete remains have dromaeosaurid features in the shape of the vertebrae and the humerus, with some resemblances to Deinonychus. An adult animal may have been slightly smaller than Deinonychus at around 2 meters (6.5 ft.) long.
[edit] References
- Variraptor in The Dinosaur Encyclopaedia, at Dino Russ's Lair
 |
This dinosaur-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
