In Depth
Talenkauen is a genus of small to medium sized ornithopod dinosaur that lived in South America during the late Cretaceous. Noted for being similar in overall build to the much older Dryosaurus from North America, some of the most notable features of Talenkauen include an arrangement of oval plates that run alongside the rib cage. These plates seem to be far too few in number to have served a defensive purpose, but an alternate theory is that they may have aided respiration with the movement of the rib cage to allow the lungs to process a larger volume of air.
Possible predatory threats to Talenkauen include theropod dinosaurs such as Orkoraptor.
Further Reading
- A new basal iguanodontian (Dinosauria, Ornithischia) from the Upper Cretaceous of Patagonia. - Ameghiniana 41(1):75-82. - F. E. Novas, A. V. Cambiaso & A. Ambrosio - 2004.
