Shanag

Shan-ag.
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Cassidy Wood

Paleoentomologist

Cassidy Wood uncovers the tiny yet significant world of prehistoric insects. Her research on amber-preserved specimens has revealed intricate details about ancient ecosystems.

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Name

Shanag ‭(‬named after the dancers in the Buddhist Cham dance‭)‬.

Phonetic

Shan-ag.

Named By

Alan Turner,‭ ‬Sunny Hai-Ching Hwang‭ & ‬Mark Norell‭ ‬-‭ ‬2007.

Classification

Chordata,‭ ‬Reptilia,‭ ‬Dinosauria,‭ ‬Saurischia,‭ ‬Theropoda,‭ ‬Dromaeosauridae.

Diet

Carnivore.

Species

S.‭ ‬ashile‭

Size

Roughly about‭ ‬1.5‭ ‬meter long.

Known locations

Mongolia‭ ‬-‭ ‬��sh Formation‭ (‬previously Ashile Formation‭)‬.

Time Period

Berriasian-Barremian of the Cretaceous.

Fossil representation

Partial upper and lower jaws.

In Depth

       When Shanag was first described the genus was described as a member of the Dromaeosauridae,‭ ‬but later studies have refined this further to suggest that Shanag was closer to dromaeosaurid genera such as Microraptor.‭ ‬So far Shanag is only known from partial jaw‭ ‬material,‭ ‬but analysis and comparisons to other related genera suggests that Shanag would have been a small predator about one and a half meters long.

Further Reading

-‭ ‬A small derived theropod from ��sh,‭ ‬Early Cretaceous,‭ ‬Baykhangor Mongolia.‭ ‬-‭ ‬American Museum Novitates‭ ‬3557:1-27.‭ ‬-‭ ‬A.‭ ‬H.‭ ‬Turner,‭ ‬S.‭ ‬H.‭ ‬Hwang‭ & ‬M.‭ ‬A.‭ ‬Norell‭ ‬-‭ ‬2007.

SPECIES SPOTLIGHT