Santanaraptor

Taxobox
name = "Santanaraptor"
fossil_range = Early Cretaceous
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Sauropsida
superordo = Dinosauria
ordo = Saurischia
subordo = Theropoda
unranked_familia = Coelurosauria
familia = Unknown
genus = "Santanaraptor"
genus_authority= Kellner, 1999
subdivision_ranks=Species
subdivision=
*"S. placidus" Kellner, 1999 (type)

"Santanaraptor" (meaning "Santana Formation thief") is a genus of theropod dinosaur that lived in Brazil during the Albian stage of the Early Cretaceous about 108 million years ago. The carnivore was around convert|1.25|m|ft long. The holotype (MN 4802-V) consists of 3 caudal vertebrae with chevrons, ischia, femora, tibia, fibula, pes, and soft tissue. The fossilized tissue includes a thin epidermis, muscle fibers, and possibly blood vessels.cite web |url=http://www.dinodata.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=7494&Itemid=67|title=Santanaraptor placidus [sG] [T] |accessdate=2008-08-13|date= |work=DinoData|publisher=]

Classification

The type species is "S. placidus", first described by Kellner in 1999.cite journal |last=Kellner|first=A. W. A.|authorlink= |year=1999 |month= |title=Short Note on a new dinosaur (Theropoda, Coelurosauria) from the Santana Formation (Romualdo Member, Albian), northeastern Brazil|journal=Boletim do Museu Nacional (Serie Geologia)|volume=49|issue= |pages=1–8|doi= |url= |accessdate= |quote= ] The species epithet refers to Placido Cidade Nuvens, who founded the Museo de Santana do Cariri.

"Santanaraptor" was originally thought to be a maniraptoran theropod when it was first discovered. However, it is now thought to be a basal coelurosaur based on several features present on the femur. "Santanaraptor" may have been closely related to "Ornitholestes", an earlier coelurosaur of the Late Jurassic, based on similarities in the ischium, a bone of the pelvis.

References

External links

* [http://www.users.qwest.net/~jstweet1/coelurosauria.htm "Thescelosaurus!" (under Coelurosauria "i.s.")]