This article relies largely or entirely on a single source. (July 2024) |
Harenadraco (meaning "sand dragon") is an extinct genus of troodontid theropod dinosaurs from the Late Cretaceous Baruungoyot Formation of Mongolia. The genus contains a single species, H. prima, known from a fragmentary skeleton. Harenadraco represents the first troodontid known from the Baruungoyot Formation. Since members of this family are also known from the Nemegt and Djadochta Formations, the discovery of Harendraco indicates that troodontids were present in every formation within the Nemegt Basin.[1]
| Harenadraco | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Clade: | Dinosauria |
| Clade: | Saurischia |
| Clade: | Theropoda |
| Family: | †Troodontidae |
| Genus: | †Harenadraco Lee et al., 2024 |
| Species: | †H. prima
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| Binomial name | |
| †Harenadraco prima Lee et al., 2024
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Discovery and naming
editThe Harenadraco holotype specimen, MPC-D 110/119, was discovered in 2018 in sediments of the Baruungoyot Formation (Hermiin Tsav locality) in Ömnögovi Province, Mongolia. The specimen consists of a fragmentary and partially articulated skeleton, comprising pieces of the right ilium, the end of the right femur, and several bones from the left hind leg, including the top of the femur, the end of the tibiotarsus, the second through fourth metatarsals, and several pedal phalanges. Some unidentified bone fragments are also associated with the skeleton.[1]
In 2024, Lee et al. described Harenadraco prima as a new genus and species of troodontid theropod based on these fossil remains. The generic name, Harenadraco , combines the Latin words "harena", meaning "sand", and "draco", meaning "dragon". The specific name, prima, is a Latin word meaning "first", referencing the fact that Harenadraco is the first troodontid known from its geological formation.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b c Lee, S.; Lee, Y.-N.; Park, J.-Y.; Kim, S.-H.; Badamkhatan, Z.; Idersaikhan, D.; Tsogtbaatar, K. (2024). "The first troodontid (Dinosauria: Theropoda) from the Upper Cretaceous Baruungoyot Formation of Mongolia". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. e2364746. doi:10.1080/02724634.2024.2364746.