Argentina paleontologists identify new predatory dinosaur species

Paleontologists have identified a new species of megaraptorid dinosaur, named Rinconraptor pipoae, in northern Patagonia, Argentina. The predatory dinosaur lived approximately 83 to 86 million years ago during the Late Cretaceous period.

The fossil remains were discovered in the Cerro Overo-La Invernada area, located about 50 kilometers southwest of Rincón de los Sauces. The findings include tail vertebrae, part of a left upper-arm bone, and the upper end of a right shinbone. Researchers estimate the animal reached a length of between seven and eight meters.

As a member of the Megaraptoridae family, Rinconraptor pipoae is characterized by slender hind limbs, strongly curved teeth, and large claws on its hands. The research was led by Ariel Hernán Méndez, a CONICET researcher at the Patagonian Institute of Paleontology and Geology. The discovery provides new insights into the evolutionary relationships of large carnivorous dinosaurs and the ancient ecosystem of the Neuquén Basin.