Xixianykus

Chordata

Xixianykus
Temporal range: Late Cretaceous, 83 Ma
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Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Superorder: Dinosauria
Order: Saurischia
Suborder: Theropoda
Family: †Alvarezsauridae
Subfamily: †Parvicursorinae
Node: †Ceratonykini
Genus: †Xixianykus
Xu et al, 2010
Species: †X. zhangi
Binomial name
Xixianykus zhangi
Xu et al., 2010

Xixianykus is a genus of alvarezsauroid theropod dinosaur from the late Cretaceous period of China.[1] It was discovered in Xixia County in Henan, China. It is among the oldest of the derived alvarezsauroids, the parvicursorines, dated to the Santonian-Coniacian as opposed to other parvicursorines, which are either Campanian or Maastrichtian.[2]

Description

Xixianykus appears to have many adaptations towards a cursorial (running) lifetyle. It was about 50 centimetres (20 in) long but had 20 centimetres (7.9 in) long legs and a short femur combined with a long tibia and metatarsus, which are good indicators of it being a fast runner.[2]

References

  1. ^ Xu, X., Wang, D.Y., Sullivan, C., Hone, D.W.E., Han, F.L., Yan, R.H. and Du, F.M. (2010). "A basal parvicursorine (Theropoda: Alvarezsauridae) from the Upper Cretaceous of China.". Zootaxa, 2413: 1-19.
  2. ^ a b Hone, D. (2010). Xixianykus zhangi - A New Alvarezsaur Dave Hone's Archosaur Musings, April 23, 2011.

External links