Luanchuanraptor
Name:
Luanchuanraptor
(Luanchuan thief).
Phonetic: Loo-an-chu-an-rap-tore.
Named By: J-C Lu, L. Xu, X.-L.Zhang, Q.
Ji, S.-H. Jia, W.-Y. Hu, J.-M. Zhang, & Y.-H.
Wu - 2007.
Classification: Chordata, Reptilia, Dinosauria,
Saurischia, Theropoda, Dromaeosauridae.
Species: L. henanensis
(type).
Diet: Carnivore.
Size: Uncertain.
Known locations: China, Henan Province -
Qiupa Formation.
Time period: Late (Campanian?) Cretaceous.
Fossil representation: Teeth and partial post
cranial remains.
Luanchuanraptor
can go down in palaeontological history as the first Asian
dromaeosaurid found outside of the Gobi Desert. Beyond this however
the partial remains of the holotype make it hard to establish details
about this genus. Luanchuanraptor was a
dromaeosaurid meaning that it
was a relatively small theropod dinosaur similar to others such as
Dromaeosaurus
and Velociraptor,
though how close is currently hard to
say. Luanchuanraptor has been described as being
a ‘moderately
sized' theropod. yet size estimates can vary greatly upon source
from as little as one meter long, a more common one and a half meters
all the up to three to even four meters long.
As
a dromaeosaurid, Luanchuanraptor is expected to
have had enlarged
sickle shaped claws on its feet which may have served as killing
weapons against prey. Also although not preserved with the holotype,
Luanchuanraptor likely had feathers in life since
this seems to have
been the norm for the dromaeosaurids, though how much and in what
places is completely unknown for Luanchuanraptor.
Further reading
- New dromaeosaurid dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous Qiupa Formation
of Luanchuan area, western Henan, China, J-C Lu, L. Xu,
X.-L.Zhang, Q. Ji, S.-H. Jia, W.-Y. Hu, J.-M. Zhang,
& Y.-H. Wu - 2007.
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