Unenlagia

Taxobox
name = "Unenlagia"
fossil_range = Late Cretaceous

---

regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Sauropsida
superordo = Dinosauria
ordo = Saurischia
subordo = Theropoda
familia = Dromaeosauridae
genus = "Unenlagia"
genus_authority = Novas & Puerta, 1997
subdivision_ranks = Species
subdivision =
*"U. comahuensis" Novas & Puerta, 1997 (type)
*"U. paynemili" Calvo, Porfiri & Kellner, 2004

"Unenlagia" (meaning "half-bird" in Latinized Mapuche) was a genus of theropod dinosaur of the family Dromaeosauridae. "Unenlagia", which lived in South America during the Late Cretaceous, was a member of the strange and extremely bird-like Gondwanan sub-family of dromaeosaurs called unenlagiines, and was closely related to dinosaurs such as "Buitreraptor" and "Neuquenraptor" (which might be the same species as "Unenlagia"). Makovicky "et al." suggested that the 'flying raptor' "Rahonavis" is also a member of this group, which would mean that either "Unenlagia" is secondarily flightless, having evolved from flying, "Rahonavis"-like ancestors, or that bird-like flight evolved at least twiceMakovicky, Apesteguía and Agnolín (2005). "The earliest dromaeosaurid theropod from South America." "Nature", 437: 1007-1011.] . Norell "et al." in 2006 also found "Rahonavis" to be the sister taxon of "Unenlagia".Norell, M.A., Clark, J.M., Turner, A.H., Makovicky, P.J., Barsbold, R., and Rowe, T. (2006). "A new dromaeosaurid theropod from Ukhaa Tolgod (Omnogov, Mongolia)." "American Museum Novitates", 3545: 1-51.]

"Unenlagia" was very birdlike itself. Novas and Puerta found its pelvic region to be very similar to that of the early bird "Archaeopteryx".Novas, F.E., and Puerta, P.F. (1997). "New evidence concerning avian origins from the Late Cretaceous of Patagonia." "Nature", 387: 390-2.] The shoulder girdle of "Unenlagia" also shows adaptations for flapping. At 2 meters (6.6 ft long), "Unenlagia" was probably too big to fly; thus either it evolved from flying ancestors, or "Rahonavis" (if an unenlagiine) evolved flight from adequately adapted (but too large; "see also" exaptation) dromaeosaurs independently of the "Archaeopteryx" lineage, at a time when other bird lineages were already undergoing vigorous adaptive radiation.

The genus "Unenlagia" has been assigned two species: "U. comahuensis", the type species described by Novas and Puerta in 1997, and "U. paynemili", described by Calvo "et al." in 2004.Calvo, J.O., Porfiri, J.D. and Kellner, A.W. (2004). "On a new maniraptoran dinosaur (Theropoda) from the Upper Cretaceous of Neuquén, Patagonia, Argentina." "Arq. Mus. Nacional. Rio de Janeiro", 62: 549-566.]

References

External links

* [http://www.nhm.ac.uk/jdsml/nature-online/dino-directory/detail.dsml?Genus=Unenlagia "Unenlagia" in the Dino Directory]
* [http://www.azhdarcho.com/Art/Paleoart/unenlagia2.htm A drawing of "Unenlagia".]
* [http://www.dinodata.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=7911&Itemid=67 "Unenlagia" at DinoData]
* [http://dml.cmnh.org/2005Oct/msg00477.html Discussion of unenlagiine relationships on the DML.]
* [http://www.dinoruss.com/de_4/5a6b35f.htm "Unenlagia"]