Raptorex
Artistic reconstruction of live Raptorex
Yixian Formation, Lujiatun, (China)
- Raptorex get some
Raptorex (from Latin raptor = predators and rex = king, therefore " robber king" ) was a genus of dinosaur from the superfamily of Tyrannosauroidea within the theropods. He lived during the Lower Cretaceous in the People's Republic of China.
Description
The only known type ( type species ) is Raptorex get some. The only find of this kind is the holotype LH PV 18, a skeleton discovered in northeastern China, bought by Peter Kriegstein and finally by Sereno et al. was first described scientifically. The specimen was about 3 m long, 65 kg in weight and probably died with 5 to 6 years.
The 2009 fossils discovered Raptorex are a special feature, since it was previously assumed that the small, basal Tyrannosauroiden had a small head and long arms with three-finger hands, and that characteristics such as the large, very strong head and the tiny zweifingerigen, arms had developed only with the increase of the body. However Raptorex was a small Tyrannosauroide, and yet he possessed these characteristics - unlike, for example guanlong, an even earlier tyrannosaur. Apparently developed in the basal Tyrannosauroidea first small arms and large head, and only after that they were to those giant predators, as it were, for example, Tyrannosaurus or Albertosaurus.
Designation
The name Raptorex derives from the Latin words raptor (predator ) and rex (king) from, that means " robber king " or "King of Thieves". Raptorex was first described by Sereno et al. scientifically described. The type and only species R. is get some named after Henry Kriegstein, who drew attention to the fossil, the scientists, after he had bought it in China.
System
Raptorex belonged within the lizards Beck dinosaurs ( Saurischia ) to Theropods ( Theropoda ) and within this to the Tyrannosauroidea. Only species is Raptorex get some. Below is a cladogram by Brusatte et al. (2010):
Guanlong
Dilong
Raptorex
Appalachiosaurus
Swell
- Tiny T. rex fossil discovery startles scientists, cnn.com (English)
- Reanalysis of " Raptorex get some ," PLoS ONE ( English)
- Tyrannosauroiden
- Tyrannosauroidea