New Dromaeosaurid from Mongolia

[Troodon]

A new small dromaeosaurid dinosaur, Shri devi, from the Late Cretaceous deposit of the Barun Goyot Formation at Khulsan, Mongolia, is described here.   Pretty cool unfortunately no skull but teeth should be small and very similar to Velociraptor 

 

Paper provides a good reference source to ID dromaeosaurid bones from other regions

 

http://digitallibrary.amnh.org/handle/2246/7251

 

 

 

Check out that Digit II killing claw 

 

[DD1991]

The holotype of Shri devi was at one time dubbed "Ichabodcraniosaurus" in a 1996 book about dinosaur fossils from the Gobi Desert by Michael Novacek because it lacks cranial remains. Norell and Mackovicky (1999) provisionally regarded IGM 100/980 as a specimen of Velociraptor mongoliensis, but the fact that Shri devi constitutes a distinct taxon in its own right shows how dromaeosaurid specimens lacking cranial material still offer taxonomically informative data.

 

Novacek, Michael J. (1996). Dinosaurs of the Flaming Cliffs. New York: Anchor Books. ISBN 0-385-47774-0.

 

Norell, Mark A.; Makovicky, Peter J. (1999). Important features of the dromaeosaurid skeleton II: information from newly collected specimens of Velociraptor mongoliensis. American Museum Novitates 3282: 1–45. hdl:2246/3025.