Hagryphus

• Utah, USA ( Kaiparowits Formation)

• Hagryphus giganteus

Hagryphus was a theropod dinosaur from the group of Oviraptorosauria from the Upper Cretaceous of North America, which is only known by a left hand foot bones and fragments of arms and. This genus was first described in 2005 by Zanno and Sampson with the only previous way Hagryphus giganteus. Within the Oviraptorosauria Hagryphus is counted among the Caenagnathidae.

Hagryphus belonged with an estimated length of 3 meters to the largest Oviraptorosauria and was 30 to 40 % larger than Chirostenotes. Of the allied genera Elmisaurus and Chirostenotes to Hagryphus can define by characteristics of the hand bones found; Thus, the first and second fingers are more robust, while the first metacarpal and the phalange I-1 was shorter in proportion.

Fund and naming

The date the only Fund ( holotype, catalog number UMNH VP 12765 ) is from the Grand Staircase- Escalante National Monument in Utah (USA). Stratigraphy of the locality belongs to the Kaiparowits Formation, which is characterized by its dinosaur fauna; so informed Hagryphus its habitat among other Dromaeosauriden, troodontids, Parasaurolophus, Gryposaurus and Ornithomimus.

Radiometric datings show that the sediments of the discovery site in front of millions of 76-75 years were deposited (late Campanian ). The Fund consists of an incomplete that is in a composite anatomical left hand including the wrist bones ( carpal ) and full finger joints 1, 2 and 3, with the second phalanx, the claw ( ungual ) is missing. In addition, the distal (lower ) part of the spoke ( radius ) as well as fragmentary metatarsal and toe bones are known. The Fund is now preserved in the Utah Museum of Natural History in Salt Lake City.

Hagryphus giganteus means as much as " gigantic grip of Ha " and is derived from the Egyptian desert god Ha, ancient Greek gryphus ( " Griffin", a mythological bird-like hybrids ) and gigas ( "giant" ).