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Rapator (meaning "plunderer") is a genus of theropod dinosaur from Australia. It lived during the Early Cretaceous and grew to as much as 9 meters (30 ft) in length. It was originally named by Friedrich von Huene in 1932, and its discovery is based on his discovery of a single bone.[1] Originally thought to be a bone from the upper part of an indeterminate theropod hand (specifically metacarpal I), it was later noted that the bone is similar to the finger bone of an alvarezsaur.[2] However, later study showed that it is more likely a primitive coelurosaurian similar to Nqwebasaurus.[3]
[edit] References
- ^ Huene, F. (1932). "Die fossile Reptil-Ordnung Saurischia, ihre Entwicklung und Geschichte." Monogo. Geol. Pal. 4 (1) pts. 1 and 2, viii + 361 pp.
- ^ Holtz, Molnar, and Currie (2004). "Basal Tetanurae." In Weishampel, Dodson and Osmolska (eds.), The Dinosauria Second Edition. University of California Press. 861 pp.
- ^ Salisbury, Agnolin, Ezcurra, and Pias (2007). "A critical reassessment of the Cretaceous non-avian dinosaur faunas of Australia and New Zealand." Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, 27(3): 138A.
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