Dahalokely

Dah-hah-lo-kee-ley.
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Emerson Winslow

Paleoichthyologist

Emerson Winslow delves into the underwater world of prehistoric fish, uncovering the mysteries of early marine life. His discoveries have enhanced understanding of vertebrate evolution in aquatic environments.

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Name

Dahalokely ‭(‬Small thief‭)‬.

Phonetic

Dah-hah-lo-kee-ley.

Named By

Andrew A.‭ ‬Farke‭ & ‬Joseph J.‭ ‬W.‭ ‬Sertich‭ ‬-‭ ‬2013.

Classification

Chordata,‭ ‬Reptilia,‭ ‬Dinosauria,‭ ‬Saurischia,‭ ‬Theropoda,‭ ‬Abelisauroidea.

Diet

Carnivore.

Species

D.‭ ‬tokana‭

Size

Unknown due to lack of remains,‭ ‬but roughly estimated to have been around‭ ‬3.5 to 4‭ ‬meters long,‭ ‬but only if it was built like other abelisaurids.

Known locations

Madagascar‭ ‬-‭ ‘‬Ambolafotsy Formation‭’‬.

Time Period

Turonian of the Cretaceous.

Fossil representation

Partial post cranial remains including cervical‭ (‬neck‭) ‬and dorsal‭ (‬back‭) ‬vertebrae and partial ribs.

In Depth

       Dahalokely is so far only known by very incomplete remains,‭ ‬but if it‭’‬s identification as an abelisauroid is correct,‭ ‬then it certainly was very small for its type.‭ ‬Alternatively,‭ ‬if Dahalokely turns out to be a noasaur,‭ ‬a group of theropods closely related to abelisaurs,‭ ‬then it would be expected to have a more elongated build,‭ ‬making Dahalokely‭ ‬ more like around the four to five and a half meter mark.‭ ‬Unfortunately it is difficult to infer anything else about this dinosaur due to the lack of remains.

Further Reading

-‭ ‬An Abelisauroid Theropod Dinosaur from the Turonian of Madagascar,‭ ‬Andrew A.‭ ‬Farke‭ & ‬Joseph J.‭ ‬W.‭ ‬Sertich‭ ‬-‭ ‬2013.

SPECIES SPOTLIGHT