Pamparaptor Temporal range: Late Cretaceous, Turonian–Coniacian |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Reptilia |
Superorder: | Dinosauria |
Order: | Saurischia |
Suborder: | Theropoda |
Family: | †Dromaeosauridae |
Genus: | †Pamparaptor Porfiri, Calvo & Santos, 2011 |
Species | |
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Pamparaptor is an extinct genus of carnivorous deinonychosaur from the late Cretaceous period. It is a basal dromaeosaurid with troodontid-like pes which lived during the late Cretaceous period (Turonian to Coniacian stage) in what is now Neuquén province, Patagonia, Argentina. It is known from the holotype MUCPv-1163, an articulated and nearly complete left foot. The specimen recovered from the Portezuelo Formation (Río Neuquén Subgroup) of Neuquén Group. Pamparaptor was named by Juan D. Porfiri, Jorge O. Calvo and Domenica dos Santos in 2011 and the type species is Pamparaptor micros. The generic name honors Indian Pampas people that lived in central Argentina while "raptor" (robber in Greek). The specific name (micros, meaning "small") refers to the specimen's size (estimated at 0.5 to 0.7 metre (1.6 to 2.3 ft) in length).[1]