Kank, new unenlagiid from Late Cretaceous of Argentina
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Ben Creisler
May 28, 2026, 10:04:37 PM (8 days ago) May 28
to DinosaurMa...@googlegroups.com
Ben Creisler
A new paper:
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Kank australis gen. et sp. nov.
Matías J. Motta, Alexis M. Aranciaga Rolando, Sebastián Rozadilla, Federico L. Agnolín, Federico Brissón Egli, Gerardo P. Álvarez Herrera, Nicolás R. Chimento, Gastón Lo Coco, Takanobu Tsuihiji, Makoto Manabe, Diego Pol & Fernando E. Novas (2026)
New unenlagiid from the Chorrillo Formation (Late Cretaceous, Maastrichtian), SW Patagonia, Argentina
Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology e2656456
doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/02724634.2026.2656456
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02724634.2026.2656456
Unenlagiids constitute a group of paravian theropods up to now represented in Gondwanan landmasses. They are particularly diverse in northern Patagonia, where at least seven species were discovered in Upper Cretaceous beds. In southern Patagonia, by contrast, the record is restricted to a few isolated remains of indeterminate taxa from Argentina and Chile. The aim of the present contribution is to describe an unenlagiid, Kank australis gen. et sp. nov. from the Maastrichtian beds of southern Santa Cruz, southern Patagonia, Argentina. Kank australis is represented by vertebrae, isolated pedal phalanges, and shed teeth. The holotype individual has a unique combination of characters, including a highly pneumatized cervical vertebra with well-developed parapophysis and carotid processes. Further, a pedal phalanx II-2 resembles those of troodontids due the reduction of the distal condyles, and differs from other known unenlagiids. The apomorphic condition of the few available elements suggests that Kank australis was probably distinct from its kin and reinforces the hypothesis that Unenlagiidae was a morphologically disparate clade.
***
News:
Heron-like, fish-eating dinosaur from 70 million years ago discovered in Argentina
Palaeontologists estimate that the new species — described based on fossils unearthed at a ranch in Argentina — grew up to three meter long
Kank australis gen. et sp. nov.
Matías J. Motta, Alexis M. Aranciaga Rolando, Sebastián Rozadilla, Federico L. Agnolín, Federico Brissón Egli, Gerardo P. Álvarez Herrera, Nicolás R. Chimento, Gastón Lo Coco, Takanobu Tsuihiji, Makoto Manabe, Diego Pol & Fernando E. Novas (2026)
New unenlagiid from the Chorrillo Formation (Late Cretaceous, Maastrichtian), SW Patagonia, Argentina
Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology e2656456
doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/02724634.2026.2656456
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02724634.2026.2656456
Unenlagiids constitute a group of paravian theropods up to now represented in Gondwanan landmasses. They are particularly diverse in northern Patagonia, where at least seven species were discovered in Upper Cretaceous beds. In southern Patagonia, by contrast, the record is restricted to a few isolated remains of indeterminate taxa from Argentina and Chile. The aim of the present contribution is to describe an unenlagiid, Kank australis gen. et sp. nov. from the Maastrichtian beds of southern Santa Cruz, southern Patagonia, Argentina. Kank australis is represented by vertebrae, isolated pedal phalanges, and shed teeth. The holotype individual has a unique combination of characters, including a highly pneumatized cervical vertebra with well-developed parapophysis and carotid processes. Further, a pedal phalanx II-2 resembles those of troodontids due the reduction of the distal condyles, and differs from other known unenlagiids. The apomorphic condition of the few available elements suggests that Kank australis was probably distinct from its kin and reinforces the hypothesis that Unenlagiidae was a morphologically disparate clade.
***
News:
Heron-like, fish-eating dinosaur from 70 million years ago discovered in Argentina
Palaeontologists estimate that the new species — described based on fossils unearthed at a ranch in Argentina — grew up to three meter long
Ben Creisler
May 29, 2026, 12:22:08 PM (8 days ago) May 29
to DinosaurMa...@googlegroups.com
Now with a free pdf (view only for now):
Kank australis gen. et sp. nov.
Matías J. Motta, Alexis M. Aranciaga Rolando, Sebastián Rozadilla, Federico L. Agnolín, Federico Brissón Egli, Gerardo P. Álvarez Herrera, Nicolás R. Chimento, Gastón Lo Coco, Takanobu Tsuihiji, Makoto Manabe, Diego Pol & Fernando E. Novas (2026)
New unenlagiid from the Chorrillo Formation (Late Cretaceous, Maastrichtian), SW Patagonia, Argentina
Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology e2656456
doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/02724634.2026.2656456
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02724634.2026.2656456
Matías J. Motta, Alexis M. Aranciaga Rolando, Sebastián Rozadilla, Federico L. Agnolín, Federico Brissón Egli, Gerardo P. Álvarez Herrera, Nicolás R. Chimento, Gastón Lo Coco, Takanobu Tsuihiji, Makoto Manabe, Diego Pol & Fernando E. Novas (2026)
New unenlagiid from the Chorrillo Formation (Late Cretaceous, Maastrichtian), SW Patagonia, Argentina
Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology e2656456
doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/02724634.2026.2656456
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02724634.2026.2656456
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