Citation: | Jun-chang Lü, Li Xu, Hua-li Chang, Song-hai Jia, Ji-ming Zhang, Dian-song Gao, Yi-yang Zhang, Cheng-jun Zhang, Fang Ding, 2018. A new alvarezsaurid dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous Qiupa Formation of Luanchuan, Henan Province, central China, China Geology, 1, 28-35. doi: 10.31035/cg2018005 |
An alvarezsaurid dinosaur skeleton was discovered from the Late Cretaceous Qiupa Formation of Luanchuan, Henan Province of centtral China. It represents a new alvarezsaurid dinosaur Qiupanykus zhangi gen. et sp. nov. A phylogenetic analysis recovers Qiupanykus nested within the unresolved clade, which includes Asian and north American taxa. The skeleton of the new specimen is preserved in association with eggshells. The eggshell morphologies show that these eggs belong to oviraptorid eggs, skeletal remains of which were discovered from the same area. The alvarezsaurid skeleton associated with eggshell fragments may indicate that these eggs were broken by the strong thumb-claws of the former and that alvarezsaurid dinosaurs may be egg-eaters.
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Map of the holotype locality in Luanchuan of Henan Province, China. The star represents the fossil site.
The photograph (a) and outline drawings (b) of Qiupanykus zhangi: Abbreviations: cd: caudal vertebrae; f: femur; hc: haemal arch; il: ilium; mt(II-IV): metatarsls II-IV; ti: tibia; p: pubis; pp: pedal phalanx; sv: sacral vertebrae.
The strict consensus of the 20 most parsimonious trees, showing the systematic position of Qiupanykus among alvarezsaurid dinosaurs.
Life scene of Qiupanykus zhangi (drawn by Zhao Chuang).