"Shadow of Death": Fossils of the largest raptor dinosaur have been found in Argentina

The creature lived 70 million years ago, towards the end of the Cretaceous, and used to devour smaller dinosaurs that tore it to shreds with its two sharp, curved claws that were 40 centimeters long.

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09/05/2022

Monday, 09 May 2022, 10:00

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Maip macrothorax (Photo: NATIONAL SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL RESEARCH COUNCIL (CONICET))

A research team at the Argentine Museum of Natural Sciences has discovered fossils of a giant three-story raptor dinosaur known as the "Shadow of Death."

The dinosaur, which weighs 5 tons and is 9 to 10 meters long, is the largest dinosaur in the family of raptors ever recorded.

It belongs to the Mega-Raptor group - a group of carnivorous giants that once roamed the area that is now South America.

The "shadow of death" used to devour smaller dinosaurs that tore them to shreds with its two sharp, curved claws that were 40 inches long.

The research team added that the dinosaur was also one of the last to roam the planet.

The scientific name of the dinosaur, Maip macrothorax, was given by the Argentine paleontologist Aranciaga Rolando.

The name "Maip" comes from an evil mythological figure on whom the native inhabitants of Onikank in Patagonia grew up.

The character is also known as the "Shadow of Death" who according to myth used to kill in the Andes.

The second part of the name, macrothorax, derives from the thoracic cavity of the dinosaur which is about 4 meters wide.

"This animal is very large and we were able to recover many of its remains," Arnsiaga told Reuters.

The Megaraptors had agile movement, a long neck and an elongated skull with more than 60 small teeth.

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Fossils found:

#Argentina

Death shadow 'dinosaur unearthed in Argentina

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- AFP Photo (@AFPphoto) May 5, 2022

The creature lived 70 million years ago, towards the end of the Cretaceous and was the last dinosaur before extinction.

The reptile is found in Astensia La Anita in Patagonia (a region in the territory of Argentina) - an area that looked very different 70 million years ago.

“It was a forest, almost a jungle, with puddles, lakes, streams and diverse creatures like frogs, turtles, fish, small birds and mammals,” Arnsiaga said.

"Today it is a place surrounded by huge mountains, glaciers, lakes, which requires walking for many hours in extreme weather conditions."

Paleontologists discovered the fossils shortly before the corona plague broke out in 2020. Due to the corona crisis, paleontologists were forced to analyze the fossils separately in their homes.

Many dinosaur fossils have been found in Patagonia.

In 2019, a herbivorous dinosaur that lived 140 million years ago was found in the area.

In 2014, scientists announced that they had uncovered the skeleton of a previously unknown massive dinosaur species, which was one of the largest terrestrial animals ever found.

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