Tsaagan

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Tsaagan
Fossil range: Late Cretaceous

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Sauropsida
Superorder: Dinosauria
Order: Saurischia
Suborder: Theropoda
Infraorder: Deinonychosauria
Family: Dromaeosauridae
Subfamily: Velociraptorinae
Genus: Tsaagan
Norell et al., 2006
Species
  • T. mangas Norell et al., 2006 (type)

Tsaagan is a genus of dromaeosaurid dinosaur from the Djadokhta Formation of late Cretaceous Mongolia. It lies within the subfamily Velociraptorinae. Tsaagan is known from a well-preserved skull and series of neck vertebrae, described by Norell et al. in December of 2006.[1] Tsaagan represents the only dromaeosaurid remains (other than isolated teeth) known from the Ukhaa Tolgod region, though another dromaeosaurid, Velociraptor, is known from the same formation. Animals that may have shared the same habitat with Tsaagan include Protoceratops, Shuvuuia, the small mammal Zalambdalestes, the multituberculate mammal Kryptobaatar, as well as several lizards and two yet-undescribed species of troodontid and dromaeosaurid.[1]

The species name, Tsaagan mangas, is derived from the Mongolian word for "white monster" (цагаан мангас), although with an accidental misspelling of the word Tsagaan.

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Norell, M.A., Clark, J.M., Turner, A.H., Makovicky, P.J., Barsbold, R., and Rowe, T. (2006). "A new dromaeosaurid theropod from Ukhaa Tolgod (Omnogov, Mongolia)." American Museum Novitates, 3545: 1-51.