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Fun facts
Murusraptor belongs to a group called Megaraptoridae, which are known for their long snouts and very air-filled bones.1
The only known skeleton of Murusraptor was found in the wall of a canyon, which is why its name means 'wall thief'.1
Even though the holotype was not fully grown, it was already about 6.5 meters (21 feet) long, making it larger than some other megaraptorids.1
Murusraptor had a large opening in its lower jaw called a mandibular fenestra, which helped make its skull lighter.1
The tail vertebrae of Murusraptor had knob-like bumps on their sides, a feature that helps scientists identify it.1
Scientists are still debating whether megaraptorids like Murusraptor are more closely related to Allosaurus or to Tyrannosaurus.1
Most asked questions about Murusraptor
?How big was Murusraptor?
About 6.4 metres (21 feet) long. The only known fossil was not fully grown, so adults may have been larger.3
?What did Murusraptor eat?
It ate meat. It was a carnivorous dinosaur with long, narrow snout and small teeth, probably hunting other animals.3
?When did Murusraptor live?
It lived during the Late Cretaceous period, about 89 to 86 million years ago (Coniacian age).3
?Could Murusraptor run fast?
Nobody knows for sure. Its leg bones suggest it was a fairly agile predator, but exact running speed is not known.3
?Why is it called Murusraptor?
Its name means 'wall thief' because the only skeleton was found in the wall of a canyon. 'Murus' is Latin for 'wall', and 'raptor' means 'thief'.3
?Was Murusraptor a dinosaur?
Yes, it was a theropod dinosaur, a type of meat-eating dinosaur. It is not a pterosaur or marine reptile.3
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For dino experts
- Scientific name
- Murusraptor
- Named by
- Coria and Currie 20164
- Group
- Meat-eating dinos
- Family / clade
- Megaraptoridae4
- Classification
- Theropoda > Megaraptora4
- Age of the rocks
- 90 to 86 million years (Coniacian)4
- Rock formations
- Sierra Barrosa4
- Countries
- Argentina4
- Fossil records
- 1 in the Paleobiology Database4
- Discovery
- Murusraptor was named by Rodolfo Coria and Philip Currie in 2016. The skeleton was collected in 2001 during an expedition in Neuquén Province, Argentina.1
- Still debated
- Scientists are not sure whether Murusraptor and other megaraptorids belong to the allosauroid group or the coelurosaur group of theropods.1
Where the facts come from
- A New Megaraptoran Dinosaur (Dinosauria, Theropoda, Megaraptoridae) from the Late Cretaceous of Patagonia | PLOS One (journals.plos.org)
- PBDB Taxon (paleobiodb.org)
- Murusraptor (en.wikipedia.org)
- Murusraptor in The Paleobiology Database (CC BY 4.0): age, places, rock formations, classification.
Every fact on this page has a number that points to its source. If we got something wrong, sorry, we are dino fans, not a science journal. Tell us at [email protected] and we will fix it.
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