New Raptor Discovery Linheraptor exquisitus - Dinosaur Discoveries
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The discovery of a new dinosaur species has been discovered in inner Mongolia by two PhD students. These new dinosaur find is a relative of the famous velociraptor. This is the first near complete skeleton of its kind to be found in the Gobi desert since 1972.
These well preserved dinosaur is named Linheraptor exquisitus. Linheraptor was found in rocks of the Walansuhai Formation, in inner Mongolia, China in 2008.
Linheraptor belongs to the Dromaeosauridae family of the carnivorous theropod dinosaurs and lived during the Late Cretaceous Period.
The dinosaur's fossilized remains were sticking out of a cliff face allowing the fossil to be discovered by the students, Michael Pittman from the University College London and Jonah Choiniere from George Washington University.
Jonah saw a claw protruding from the cliff face. After studying the claw's features the students agreed that it belonged to a carnivorous dinosaur.
"I've always wanted to discover a dinosaur since I was a kid, and
I've never given up on the idea. It was amazing that my first discovery
was from a Velociraptor relative. My thesis is on the evolution and biomechanics
of dinosaur tails but the carnivorous dinosaurs are my favorite and my
specialty,"
Researchers believe Linheraptor was a fast, agile predatory that preyed on small horned dinosaurs related to Triceratops. Like all other dromaeosaurids in its family, it possessed a large "killing claw" on each foot.
Linheraptor the first from all other dromaieosaurs from a triangular hole in front of the eyesocket called the antorbital fenestra, which is a space in the skull that sinuses would have occupied.
The research was performed by the in her Mongolia research project, led by Dr. Xu. This research may help us better understand the late Cretaceous excess system of inner Mongolia, China. Their research was founded by the geological Society of London, and the George Washington University.