Albertonykus

Taxobox
name = "Albertonykus"
fossil_range = Late Cretaceous
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Sauropsida
superordo = Dinosauria
ordo = Saurischia
subordo = Theropoda
familia = Alvarezsauridae
genus = "Albertonykus"
genus_authority = Longrich and Currie, 2008
subdivision_ranks = Species
subdivision = "A. borealis" Longrich and Currie, 2008 (type)

"Albertonykus" (meaning "Alberta claw") is a genus of alvarezsaurid dinosaur from lower Maastrichtian-age (Upper Cretaceous) rocks of the Horseshoe Canyon Formation of Alberta, Canada. It is known from forelimb and hindlimb remains from multiple individuals. All but two of the specimens come from a bonebed dominated by "Albertosaurus". "Albertonykus" is interpreted as having fed on wood-nesting termites because the forelimbs appear to be specialized for digging, but are too short for burrowing. "Albertonykus" is the earliest-known North American alvarezsaurid; isolated remains of alvarezsaurids are known from later rock units in Montana and Wyoming (USA).cite journal |last=Longrich |first=Nicholas R. |coauthors=and Currie, Philip J. |year=2008 |title="Albertonykus borealis", a new alvarezsaur (Dinosauria: Theropoda) from the Early Maastrichtian of Alberta, Canada: Implications for the systematics and ecology of the Alvarezsauridae |journal=Cretaceous Research |volume=online preprint |pages= |doi=http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cretres.2008.07.005 ]

The type species is "A. borealis", described by Nicholas Longrich and Philip Currie in 2008. The specific name ("borealis") means "north".

References

External links

* [http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2008/09/23/chicken-dinosaur-alberta.html Small 'Dr. Seuss'-like dinosaur dug up in Alberta] news report at CBC.ca