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A New Dromaeosaurid (Dinosauria: Coelurosauria) from

Khulsan, Central Mongolia
Article in American Museum Novitates · November 2021

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A M E R I C A N M US E U M N OV ITATE S
Number 3982, 47 pp. November 8, 2021
A New Dromaeosaurid (Dinosauria: Coelurosauria)

from Khulsan, Central Mongolia
JAMES G. NAPOLI,1,2 ALEXANDER A. RUEBENSTAHL,3 BHART-ANJAN S.

BHULLAR,3 ALAN H. TURNER,2,4 AND MARK A. NORELL1,2
ABSTRACT
Dromaeosaurid theropods represent a rare but important clade of nonavialan dinosaurs.
Their close evolutionary relationship to modern birds has placed them at the center of paleonto-
logical research for the last several decades. Herein we describe a new species of dromaeosaurid—
Kuru kulla, gen. et sp. nov.—based on a partial skeleton from the Late Cretaceous Khulsan locality
(Barun Goyot Formation) of Mongolia. This species is diagnosed by several autapomorphies
within Dromaeosauridae, including a sharp groove anterior and ventral to the narial fossa on the
premaxilla, a posterolaterally directed hornlet on the posterodorsal process of the lacrimal, a deep
surangular bearing two surangular foramina, and anteriorly displaced pleurocoels on the dorsal
centra. The taxon is further characterized by a unique combination of characters, including a
mediolaterally narrow metatarsal II, serrations on both carinae of the dentary teeth, hyposphenes
that are widely separated but joined by a web of bone, and a lacrimal with a poorly developed
boss on its lateral surface. Phylogenetic analysis finds Kuru kulla to be the sister taxon of Adasau-
rus mongoliensis, from the slightly later Nemegt Formation, with which it is united by three
synapomorphies: a posterior surangular foramen that is ~30% the depth of the surangular, absence
of a fourth trochanter of the femur, and thoracic centra that are markedly longer than their mid-
point widths. The recognition of this taxon has important implications for common assumptions
of Mesozoic terrestrial ecosystem structure and adds new data to a recently recognized pattern in
dromaeosaurid faunal composition among Late Cretaceous localities in Mongolia and Inner Mon-
golia (Nei Mongol Autonomous Region, China).
1 Richard Gilder Graduate School, American Museum of Natural History, New York.
2 Division of Paleontology, American Museum of Natural History, New York.
3 Department of Earth & Planetary Sciences, Yale University, New Haven, CT.
4 Department of Anatomical Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY.
Copyright © American Museum of Natural History 2021 ISSN 0003-0082

2 AMERICAN MUSEUM NOVITATES NO. 3982
INTRODUCTION
Despite their overall rarity in the fossil record, dromaeosaurid dinosaurs are among the best-
represented and best-studied paravian theropods. Dromaeosaurids were central to the recognition
of modern birds as living dinosaurs, which was spurred by the discovery of Deinonychus antirrhopus
(then the most completely known dromaeosaurid), a taxon that preserved many characteristically
“avian” traits in its postcranial skeleton (Ostrom, 1969a). Several exceptional dromaeosaurid speci-
mens from the American Museum of Natural History–Mongolian Academy of Sciences (AMNH-
MAS) expeditions to the Gobi provided important new data including characters of the pectoral
girdle, forelimb, pelvis, and pes, which further refuted arguments against a dinosaur origin of birds
(Norell and Makovicky, 1997, 1999). The discoveries of the small-bodied dromaeosaurids Microrap-
tor zhaoianus and Sinornithosaurus millenii (Xu et al., 1999, 2000), and the recognition of feather
quill knobs on a eudromaeosaur specimen (Turner et al., 2007a), demonstrated conclusively that
dromaeosaurid dinosaurs were fully feathered. Microraptor in particular has featured prominently
in research regarding the origin(s) of flight in Paraves (Pei et al., 2020).
Irrespective of their direct relevance to contextualizing the origin of modern birds, drom-
aeosaurids have proven to be an exceptionally diverse group of nonavian theropods. Discover-
ies in the past three decades has led to an exponential increase in our knowledge of the diversity
of this clade. Ancestrally, dromaeosaurids were small-bodied and likely nonpredatory animals
(Turner et al., 2007b; Cau et al., 2017), which later achieved a wide array of body plans and
diets (Napoli et al., in review), represented by long-snouted unenlagiines, small and potentially
volant microraptorines, and macropredatory eudromaeosaurs (Makovicky et al., 2005; Turner
et al., 2012; Pei et al., 2020). Of these clades, eudromaeosaurs are the best represented, with
specimens known from Europe, Asia, and North America testifying to a diverse radiation of
mostly small to midsized terrestrial predators (Turner et al., 2012; Pittman et al., 2020). Excep-
tional eudromaeosaur fossils provide potential evidence of pack hunting and demonstrate that
these animals habitually predated upon prey larger than themselves (Maxwell and Ostrom,
1995; Barsbold and Osmólska, 1999; Li et al., 2008).
The best eudromaeosaur fossils come from the Gobi Desert, particularly from Late Cretaceous
localities in Inner Mongolia (Nei Mongol Autonomous Region, China) and Mongolia, which have
produced remains of Velociraptor mongoliensis (Osborn, 1924), Adasaurus mongoliensis (Barsbold,
1983), Achillobator giganticus (Perle et al., 1999), Tsaagan mangas (Norell et al., 2006), Velociraptor
osmolskae (Godefroit et al., 2008), Linheraptor exquisitus (Xu et al., 2010), and Shri devi (Turner et
al., 2021). Recent phylogenetic analyses (Pei et al., 2020; Turner et al., 2021; Napoli et al., in review)
have found all Late Cretaceous Asian eudromaeosaurs except Achillobator to comprise the clade
Velociraptorinae, also including Deinonychus antirrhopus and potentially several fragmentary North
American eudromaeosaurs. Here, we report a new species of eudromaeosaur from the Late Creta-
ceous Khulsan locality, from which one eudromaeosaurid taxon – Shri devi – is currently recognized
(Turner et al., 2021). This new taxon is represented by a partial skeleton that preserves strong char-
acter support for its taxonomic distinctiveness and membership within the clade Velociraptorinae.
The presence of two similarly sized, closely related taxa in one locality has implications for our
understanding of, and assumptions regarding, the composition of other Mesozoic faunas.
2021 NAPOLI ET AL.: NEW DROMAEOSAURID FROM KHULSAN 3
SYSTEMATIC PALEONTOLOGY
Dinosauria Owen, 1843
Theropoda Marsh, 1881
Coelurosauria Huene, 1920
Maniraptora Gauthier, 1986
Dromaeosauridae Matthew and Brown, 1922
Kuru kulla, gen. et sp. nov
Etymology: Kurukullā (fig. 1) is a deity venerated in Tibetan Buddhism. Considered peace-
ful to semiwrathful, she is usually depicted with four arms, holding in one pair of hands a bow
and arrow, and in the other pair a hook and noose, all of which are made of flowers. Kurukullā
is particularly associated with major life transitions. We emphasize here that the generic name
Kuru is not in reference to the cannibalism-borne prion disease of the same name.
Holotype: IGM 100/981, a fragmentary skeleton comprising a right premaxilla, right
lacrimal, partial right dentary, right surangular, 14 presacral vertebrae, three caudal vertebrae,
fragments of the right and left upper limb, a fragmentary ilium, distal ends of both pubes, right
and left femora, a right tibia, and fragments of the right and left pes.
Type Locality: Khulsan (fig. 2). The Barun Goyot Formation crops out at the Khulsan
locality, and is lithologically similar to the sandstones of the Djadokhta Formation (Turner et al.,
2021). Efforts to determine the relative ages of Djadokhta and Djadokhta-like strata and localities
(such as Ukhaa Tolgod, Bayn Dzak, Kheermen Tsav, and Bayan Mandahu) have been stymied by
a lack of precise geochronological data and observable contacts (Dingus et al., 2008). All that can
be said with certainty is that the Barun Goyot strata at Khulsan are Campanian to Maastrichtian
in age. Some taxa, such as the oviraptorid Nemegtomaia barsboldi, are reported from the Barun
Goyot and Nemegt formations, but others (such as the lizard Estesia mongoliensis; Yi and Norell,
2013) are shared with Djadokhta-equivalent formations, possibly suggesting that the Barun Goyot
Formation is intermediate in age between the Djadokhta and Nemegt Formations. However, as
all three localities continue to yield new taxa, it is equally possible that some are contemporaneous
and that more overlapping taxa remain undiscovered.
Diagnosis: Dromaeosaurid theropod distinguishable from other Late Cretaceous drom-
aeosaurids by the following combination of characters (putative autapomorphies within
Dromaeosauridae are denoted with an asterisk): deeply incised groove framing the anterior
and ventral margins of the narial fossa on the premaxilla*; lacrimal with posterolateral horn-
let arising from the posterodorsal process*, lacrimal with poorly developed boss at intersec-
tion of ventral, posterodorsal, and anterior processes, dentary lacking a ventral secondary
row of nutrient foramina, dentary nutrient foramina set in a shallow groove posteriorly,
dentary teeth serrated on both the mesial and distal carinae, two posterior surangular foram-
ina*, proportionally deep surangular*, anteriorly displaced (rather than anteroposteriorly
centered) pleurocoels on dorsal centra*, hyposphenes widely separated and joined by a web
FIGURE 1. Tangka depicting Kurukullā from the Hall of Asian Peoples, American Museum of Natural
History.
of bone, distal tarsals unfused to metatarsus, mediolaterally narrow metatarsal II, relatively
reduced pedal digit II.
Note on Holotype Specimen: To avoid future confusion regarding the proper number for the
holotype specimen of Kuru kulla we provide here a brief history of published references to this speci-
men, as well as a past erroneous application of this specimen number to a different dromaeosaurid
specimen from the Gobi. A partial dromaeosaurid specimen from Khulsan was referred to as IGM
100/981 in the “important features” papers (Norell and Makovicky, 1997, 1999), and the surangular
FIGURE 2. Map of Mongolia, showing the location of Khulsan, the locality in which IGM 100/981 was dis-
covered in 1991.
of this same individual was figured and labeled as IGM 100/981 by Norell et al. (2006: fig. 15). It is
this specimen cataloged as IGM 100/981 that we describe and name herein. This specimen may
further be familiar (erroneously) under the provisional name “Airakoraptor,” which was listed in a
table by Perle et al. (1999) in their description of Achillobator giganticus, a paper published without
the knowledge of its junior authors and based on written material left in Mongolia (Turner et al.,
2012). The name is referenced to a Society of Vertebrate Paleontology meeting abstract, albeit with
an incorrect title, and may derive from a fermented mare- or donkey-milk product called “airak” that
is important in traditional Central Asian steppe culture (also spelled “airag” in Mongolian and often
referred to in English by the Kazakh word “kumis”). As IGM 100/981 was never actually described
as “Airakoraptor,” the name is a nomen nudum.
An incomplete dromaeosaurid specimen from Zos Wash (near Ukhaa Tolgod) was collected
in 1998 (a year after IGM 100/981 appeared in the literature). This specimen is notable for its pres-
ervation of ulnar papillae, which are the first direct evidence of feathers in a eudromaeosaur (Turner
et al., 2007a). The Zos Wash specimen was also mentioned by Norell et al. (2006), who noted that
it was not referrable to Tsaagan mangas due to differences in frontal morphology, despite shared
provenance. Turner et al. (2007a) erroneously identified the Zos Wash specimen as IGM 100/981.
The correct specimen number for the Zos Wash specimen is IGM 100/3503. This individual is cur-
rently referred to Velociraptor mongoliensis and is under renewed study.
Institutional Abbreviations
AMNH FARB, American Museum of Natural History Fossil Amphibians, Reptiles, and Birds,
New York
IGM, Mongolian Institute for Geology, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
YPM, Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History, New Haven, CT
ZPAL, Institute of Paleobiology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
DESCRIPTION
IGM 100/981 comprises a partial skeleton, including a right premaxilla and lacrimal, a
right partial mandible, parts of 14 presacral vertebrae, three isolated caudal vertebrae, and
fragments of the left and right fore- and hind limbs. Preservational quality differs among ele-
ments, but generally the elements are more heavily weathered than those of the recently
described holotype of the dromaeosaurid Shri devi (Turner et al., 2021).
Cranium
The cranium of IGM 100/981 is represented only by a partial right premaxilla and partial
right lacrimal. The medial surface and part of the dentigerous margin of the premaxilla (fig. 3)
are obscured by matrix. Only the first two alveoli are exposed, precluding a definite dental count,
but there were almost certainly four premaxillary teeth, as in all theropods. The anterior and
ventral margins of the premaxilla meet at an approximately 90° angle, as in all dromaeosaurids.
The anteroventral end is marked by irregularly arranged neurovascular foramina, like those of
Velociraptor mongoliensis (AMNH FARB 6515; IGM 100/982). The nasal process is incomplete,
precluding observations of its posterior morphology, but it was clearly rounded, as is typical for
dromaeosaurids, rather than externally flattened as in troodontids. The subnarial process is bro-
ken at its anterior base, so it cannot be determined whether it extended posteriorly to exclude the
maxilla from the margin of the external naris. However, this is the most likely condition, as it is
known in all eudromaeosaurs for which the relevant anatomy is preserved. Ventral to the base of
the subnarial process is a posteroventrally facing fossa that represents the premaxillary contribu-
tion to the subnarial foramen, which would have opened between the maxilla and premaxilla as
in most theropods. In Deinonychus antirrhopus (YPM 5232) there is no clear fossa for this fora-
men on the lateral surface of the premaxilla ventral to the subnarial process, and the anterior end
of the maxilla is reconstructed, so the presence of a subnarial foramen is unclear. The narial fossa
extends onto the base of the nasal process. Anterior to the narial fossa, there is a conspicuous
groove roughly paralleling its anterior margin. Dorsally, this groove terminates in a distinct,
sediment-infilled neurovascular foramen, and posteriorly/ventrally it appears to enter the sub-
narial foramen. A similar groove is present in Tsaagan mangas (IGM 100/1015) and appears to
be present in both Linheraptor exquisitus (Xu et al., 2015, fig. 4A; IVPP V 16923) and Velociraptor
mongoliensis (IGM 100/982); however, it is more weakly developed in all three taxa than it is in
IGM 100/981. A similar shallowly inset groove appears to be present in Velociraptor mongoliensis
np
gr
sf
t1
t2
5 mm
FIGURE 3. Right premaxilla of IGM 100/981 in lateral view. Abbreviations: gr, groove anterior to narial fossa;
np, nasal process; sf, premaxillary contribution to subnarial foramen; t1, first premaxillary tooth; t2, second
premaxillary tooth.
(AMNH FARB 6515), although in this specimen it is wider, oriented vertically, and extends far-
ther dorsally and ventrally. There is an enlarged neurovascular foramen at the base of the sub-
narial process, which is smaller than the one found in the same position in Deinonychus
antirrhopus (YPM 5232).
The lacrimal is missing its anterior half, so the entire anterior process and most of the
ventral process are missing (fig. 4). However, the posterodorsal process is preserved and nearly
complete, indicating that IGM 100/981 had a typical dromaeosaurid T-shaped lacrimal. The
posterodorsal process is triangular in IGM 100/981, unlike the deeper posterodorsal process
of the lacrimal in Velociraptor mongoliensis (IGM 100/982). It is impossible, however, to deter-
mine the relative lengths of the anterior and posterodorsal processes. The preserved portion of
the ventral process indicates that it was vertically oriented. Medially, the anterior portion of
the preserved lacrimal retains the articular surface for the nasal. It forms a small shelf underly-
ing the nasal anteriorly, which grades into the body of the lacrimal posteriorly as a dorsal shelf
arises from it. Therefore, the lacrimal transitions from underlying the nasal anteriorly to overly-
ing it posteriorly. The shelf for the nasal persists to at least the midpoint of the posterior process
hl rs
A
pdp
B nsh
rs
pdp
hl
C D hl
rs
hl
nlc
nlc
5 mm
mm
FIGURE 4. Right lacrimal of IGM 100/981 in A, lateral, B, dorsal, C, posterior, and D, posterolateral views.
Abbreviations: hl, orbital hornlet; nlc, nasolacrimal canal; nsh, shelf underlying nasal; rs, rugose shelf over-
hanging ventral process; pdp, posterodorsal process.
of the lacrimal, which is substantially farther than the shelf persists in Deinonychus antirrhopus
(YPM 5232) and Velociraptor mongoliensis (IGM 100/982), in which it terminates at about the
anterior edge of the ventral process of the lacrimal. The articular surface for the frontal is dam-
aged, so it is impossible to determine whether it had a distinct notch. Laterally, the dorsolateral
edge of the lacrimal is rugose and forms a sharp rugose ridge slightly overhanging the ventral
process. This ridge inflates posteriorly, forming a rugose, posteriorly directed hornlet. Several
dromaeosaurids, including Tsaagan mangas (IGM 100/1015), Linheraptor exquisitus (Xu et al.,
2015; IVPP 16923), Velociraptor mongoliensis (IGM 100/976; IGM 100/982; AMNH FARB
6515), and Deinonychus antirrhopus (YPM 5232), have a rugose boss on the lateral surface of
the lacrimal at the intersection of the anterior, posterodorsal, and jugal processes. In IGM
100/981, however, this lacrimal boss is represented only by a small, smooth swelling. Posteri-
orly, this rugose hornlet grades into the orbital margin of the posterodorsal process of the
lacrimal, which is smooth in texture. Ventrally, the posterodorsal process is dotted with small
neurovascular foramina, which are also seen in Deinonychus antirrhopus (YPM 5232), Tsaagan
mangas (IGM 100/1015), and sparsely in Velociraptor mongoliensis (AMNH FARB 6515). The
ventral process of the lacrimal is deeply excavated posteriorly to form the anterodorsal margin
of the orbit. A patch of infilled sediment appears to mark the posterior opening of the naso-
lacrimal canal, which transmitted the nasolacrimal duct in life. The opening for this duct is
more circular than in Deinonychus antirrhopus (YPM 5232) in which the canal is almost slit-
like, but is similar to the opening in Velociraptor mongoliensis (AMNH FARB 6515; IGM
100/982).
Mandible
The left mandible of IGM 100/981 is present in four pieces comprising a nearly complete left
dentary and surangular. As in many dromaeosaurids, including Shanag ashile (IGM 100/1119),
the anterior end of the dentary is downturned (fig. 5), such that the first dentary tooth is slightly
prognathous. The dentary is straplike, as in all dromaeosaurids but unlike troodontids and avia-
lans, and is straight along its length, unlike the dorsoventrally bowed dentaries of Acheroraptor
temertyorum (AMNH FARB 32108; Evans et al., 2013), Tsaagan mangas (IGM 100/1015), and
Velociraptor mongoliensis (AMNH FARB 6515; IGM 100/982) but like that of Dromaeosaurus
albertensis (AMNH FARB 5356) and Deinonychus antirrhopus (YPM 5232). The anterior end of
the dentary is marked by numerous, irregularly arranged nutrient foramina. As in Shanag ashile
(IGM 100/1119), Acheroraptor temertyorum (AMNH FARB 32108; Evans et al., 2013), Tsaagan
mangas (IGM 100/1015), and Velociraptor mongoliensis (AMNH FARB 6515; IGM 100/982), but
unlike Dromaeosaurus albertensis (AMNH FARB 5356), the primary nutrient foramina on the
dentary lie in a shallow groove posteriorly. Unlike Shanag ashile (IGM 100/1119) and many
eudromaeosaurs, such as Saurornitholestes langstoni (Currie and Evans, 2019), Acheroraptor
temertyorum (AMNH FARB 32108; Evans et al., 2013), Tsaagan mangas (IGM 100/1015), Velo-
ciraptor mongoliensis (AMNH FARB 6515; IGM 100/982), and Deinonychus antirrhopus (YPM
5232) but similar to Dromaeosaurus albertensis (AMNH FARB 5356), there is no secondary row
A 1 cm
lf sym
fg
1 cm
mg
of nutrient foramina near the ventral margin of the dentary. Like Saurornitholestes langstoni (Cur-
rie and Evans, 2019), Velociraptor mongoliensis (AMNH FARB 6515; IGM 100/982), Acheroraptor
temertyorum (AMNH FARB 32108; Evans et al., 2013), Dromaeosaurus albertensis (AMNH
FARB 5356), Tsaagan mangas (IGM 100/1015), and Atrociraptor marshalli (Currie and Evans,
2019), there is a large, anterodorsally open foramen at the anterior tip of the dentary. In Deinony-
chus antirrhopus (YPM 5232; YPM 5210), at the most anterior tip of the dentary, there is instead
an enlarged foramen on the lateral surface that directs anterolaterally. There is no indication of a
ventral “chin,” which is not seen in any dromaeosaurids but is common in tyrannosaurids (Bru-
satte et al., 2010). The anterior edge of the dentary in IGM 100/981 is steep like in Velociraptor
mongoliensis (AMNH FARB 6515), with much of the anterior edge vertical and the edge of the
dentary rounded, unlike Deinonychus antirrhopus (YPM 5232) in which the anterior edge of the
dentary slopes gradually posteroventrally making the tip acutely pointed. The dentary bears no
fewer than 14 tooth positions, and possibly up to 15. This is large in comparison to several eudro-
maeosaurs such as Acheroraptor temertyorum (AMNH FARB 32108) and Bambiraptor feinbergi
(AMNH FARB 30556), which both preserve 12 dentary tooth positions, and Dromaeosaurus
albertensis (AMNH FARB 5356), which has 11. However, this is similar to the dentary tooth
count of 15 in Saurornitholestes langstoni (Currie and Evans, 2019) and Deinonychus antirrhopus
(YPM 5232; YPM 5210), and of 14 in Tsaagan mangas (IGM 100/1015) and Velociraptor mongo-
liensis (AMNH FARB 6515; IGM 100/982). The dentary tooth positions are equally spaced, with
no indication of closely packed teeth in the anterior dentary as seen in troodontids and basal
dromaeosaurids. Anteriorly, there is no concave notch in the ventral margin as in Saurornit-
holestes langstoni (Currie and Evans, 2019). As in all dromaeosaurids, there is no indication of
interdental plates on the medial dentary (contra Currie, 1995; contra Evans et al., 2013). The
symphyseal region of the dentary is smooth, lacking any texturing for ligament attachment. The
Meckelian groove is shallow and dorsoventrally broad, and located ventrally on the dentary,
similar to Tsagaan mangas (IGM 100/1015) and Velociraptor mongoliensis (AMNH FARB 6515),
though it does not extend as far anteriorly as in the latter. It is more shallowly inset than that of
Acheroraptor temertyorum (AMNH FARB 5356), in which the Meckelian groove is deeper overall
and deepens posteriorly. While the Meckelian groove is similar in depth to that in Deinonychus
antirrhopus (YPM 5232; YPM 5210), the dorsal edge of the groove overhangs the ventral edge,
which is unlike the condition in Deinonychus (YPM 5232; YPM 5210) and Velociraptor mongo-
liensis (AMNH FARB 6515). The depth of the Meckelian groove also appears to differ between
specimens of Deinonychus antirrhopus of different sizes, with smaller Deinonychus antirrhopus
(YPM 5232) having a shallower groove than larger individuals (YPM 5210), raising the possibility
that this structure is allometrically or ontogenetically variable in dromaeosaurids.
The surangular (fig. 6) in IGM 100/981 is distinctive in its dorsoventral depth (contrasting
the dorsoventrally shallow surangular in other dromaeosaurids) and in possessing two, rather
than one, posterior surangular foramina, a condition unique to this taxon among known drom-
FIGURE 5. Right dentary of IGM 100/981, showing A, all fragments in life position, in lateral view, and B,
each fragment in lateral (left) and medial (right) view. Abbreviations: fg, foraminal groove; lf, large nutrient
foramen; mg, Meckelian groove; sym, symphyseal surface.
aeosaurids. The surangular of the potentially chimeric Bagaraatan ostromi also possesses two
posterior surangular foramina (in which one partially overlies the other dorsally, unlike in IGM
100/981; Osmólska, 1996), as does the troodontid Sinornithoides youngi (Russell and Dong,
1993). While Saurornitholestes langstoni possesses two surangular foramina (Currie and Evans,
2019), its accessory anterior foramen is positioned anterior to the surangular shelf, above the
external mandibular fenestra. Thus, it is not homologous to either of the surangular foramina
seen in IGM 100/981. A second surangular foramen was reported as ambiguously present on
the right side in Tsaagan mangas near the quadrate articulation (Norell et al., 2006), but it is
not present in the possibly synonymous Linheraptor exquisitus (Xu et al., 2010, 2015) and is
not apparent in CT scans. Combined with firsthand reexamination of IGM 100/1015 we con-
clude that Tsaagan mangas lacks this structure. The more anterior of the two surangular foram-
ina of IGM 100/981 (here interpreted as the homolog of the single surangular foramen of most
theropods) is large, approximately 28% of the dorsoventral depth of the surangular at its mid-
point and is larger than, but comparable to, that of Tsaagan mangas (IGM 100/1015) and
Velociraptor mongoliensis (IGM 100/982). This is smaller than the extremely large surangular
foramen of Adasaurus mongoliensis (Turner et al., 2012), but is larger than that of most other
theropods including most dromaeosaurids, especially Deinonychus antirrhopus, in which it is
very small. The posterior foramen is about half the size of the anterior. Both foramina are
overhung by a dorsolaterally projecting surangular shelf, which does not abut the dorsal mar-
gins of the foramina and does not obscure them from lateral view. Together with a strong
medial ridge, the surangular shelf forms a dorsally facing surface for attachment of the M.
adductor mandibulae musculature. In most dromaeosaurids, including Dromaeosaurus alber-
tensis (AMNH FARB 5356), Tsaagan mangas (IGM 100/1015) and Velociraptor mongoliensis
(AMNH FARB 6515), the surangular shelf projects laterally, is more weakly developed, or both,
and this muscle-attachment surface correspondingly faces dorsolaterally. While not as well
developed in YPM 5234, Deinonychus antirrhopus and one specimen of Velociraptor mongoli-
ensis (IGM 100/982) have a more dorsally inclined surangular shelf, similar to that of IGM
100/981. As in Deinonychus antirrhopus (YPM 5234) there is a short dorsal triangular process
on the posterior portion of the surangular that likely contributed to the lateral edge of the
posterior rim of the glenoid fossa, which is not as tall as the process in Tsaagan mangas (IGM
100/1015) and Deinonychus antirrhopus (YPM 5234). Though the posterior edge of the suran-
gular is partially broken, the medial surface of the surangular preserves the articular surface
for the articular. As in Deinonychus antirrhopus (YPM 5234) the articular projected anteroven-
trally, along the ventral edge of the medial surface of the surangular and narrowing
anteriorly.
Dentition
The dentition of IGM 100/981 is represented by teeth preserved in situ in the left dentary
(fig. 5), as well as three isolated maxillary or dentary teeth. The teeth are ziphodont in shape
(sensu Hendrickx et al., 2015), as in all derived dromaeosaurids, with long roots like those of
ssh
ssf
A
psf
ssh af
psf ssf
af
1 cm
cm
FIGURE 6. Right surangular of IGM 100/981 in A, lateral, B, medial, and C, dorsal views. Abbreviations: af,
adductor fossa; psf, primary surangular foramen; ssf, secondary surangular foramen; ssh, surangular shelf.
the maxillary dentition of Shanag ashile (Turner et al., 2007c; Napoli et al., in review). There is
no constriction or “waisting” between the root and crown, which are smoothly confluent as in
all eudromaeosaurs but unlike in troodontids (Hendrickx et al., 2019). There are no prominent
enamel ridges on the labial or lingual surfaces of the teeth. IGM 100/981 resembles Dromaeo-
saurus albertensis (Currie, 1995), Atrociraptor marshalli (Currie and Varricchio, 2004), and
Saurornitholestes langstoni (Currie and Evans, 2019) but differs from most other eudromaeo-
saurs in having denticles on both the anterior and posterior carinae of the teeth. It further
resembles these taxa in that the denticles are markedly smaller on the anterior carina. While
poor preservation makes the denticles impossible to observe on one or both carinae of several
teeth, well-preserved carinae invariably preserve denticles, suggesting that all teeth were ser-
rated on both sides in life. The anterior carina twists slightly labially moving apically along the
tooth. This contrasts with the condition in Dromaeosaurus albertensis, in which the anterior
carina is positioned on the lingual surface and twists toward the midline apically (Currie,
1995). The third dentary tooth is hypertrophied relative to the first and second teeth, similar
to Velociraptor mongoliensis (IGM 100/982). CT imagery shows that it is near to life position,
so this size difference is genuine, rather than the result of postmortem displacement, which is
responsible for apparently large teeth in many dromaeosaurids. The partially erupted crown of
the fourth dentary tooth as large as that of the third, making it likely that the mature tooth
would have been comparable in size. While most of the middentary teeth are missing, it is clear
that the posteriormost dentary teeth are smaller in size than those in the remainder of the
toothrow, as in Velociraptor mongoliensis (AMNH FARB 6515) but unlike in troodontids, in
which the posterior dentary teeth are generally larger than the anterior (Hendrickx et al., 2019).
Vertebrae
The vertebrae of IGM 100/981 are represented by fragments of cervical, dorsal, and caudal
vertebrae. These include one anterior cervical, fragments of two midposterior cervicals, one
partial posterior cervical, five anterior-middorsals, and five midposterior dorsals. Therefore, 14
individual presacral vertebrae are represented. The vertebrae are of varying quality of preserva-
tion and degree of preparation. CT imagery provides clarification of many details of their
anatomy, as well as revealing a camellate internal structure like that of Unenlagia, Velociraptor,
and Itemirus, but unlike the camarate structure of the dorsal vertebrae of Saurornitholestes
(Gianechini and Zurriaguz, 2021).
The single preserved anterior cervical lacks its prezygapophyses and anterior and posterior
articular surfaces. It compares favorably with C3 and C4 in Tsaagan mangas (IGM 100/1015)
and Shri devi (IGM 100/980), so we tentatively identify it as C3/4. The centrum is strongly
anterodorsally inclined, as is characteristic for dromaeosaurids (Ostrom, 1969b). The transverse
processes are present as poorly developed projections. The postzygapophyseal facets face ven-
trally, as in Shri devi (IGM 100/980) but unlike Tsaagan mangas (IGM 100/1015), in which
they face slightly posteroventrally, and no hyposphene is present. Like Tsaagan mangas (IGM
100/1015) but unlike Shri devi (IGM 100/980), the well-developed epipophyses do not extend
farther posteriorly than the postzygapophyses. The ventral surface of the centrum is poorly
exposed but appears to be gently convex, with no midline ridge or keel. The two midposterior
cervicals (fig. 7) are preserved in articulation. While their position is difficult to assess without
a complete vertebral series, their morphology is most consistent with C4–6 of Tsaagan mangas
FIGURE 7. Midcervical vertebrae of IGM 100/981 in A, dorsal and B, right lateral views. Abbreviations: epi,
epipophysis; ns, neural spine; poz, postzygapophysis; prz, prezygapophysis; tp, transverse process.
ns
A
prz poz epi tp

ns
5 mm
prz poz
tp acdl nsp ns
iprf prz
iprf
poz
pcdl
prp
idf
hyp pl hyp pl hyp
FIGURE 8. Digital rendering of D1–D3 of IGM 100/981 based on µCT imagery in left lateral view. Abbrevia-
tions: acdl, anterior centrodiapophyseal lamina; hyp, hypapophysis; idf, infradiapophyseal fossa; iprf, infra-
prezygapophyseal fossa; ns, neural spine; nsp, posterior extension of neural spine; pcdl, posterior
centrodiapophyseal lamina; pl, pleurocoel; poz, postzygapophysis; prp, parapophysis; prz, prezygapophysis,
tp, transverse process.
(IGM 100/1015) and Shri devi (IGM 100/980). The more anterior element is the more com-
plete, missing its prezygapophyses and anterior articular surface, whereas the more posterior
one is solely represented by a right prezygapophysis. The neural spine is broken, but it was
anteroposteriorly broad and roughly centered on the neural arch. The neural canal opens
anterodorsally, rather than strictly anteriorly as in both Shri devi (IGM 100/980) and Tsaagan
mangas (IGM 100/1015). The epipophyses are low and more poorly developed than those of
both Shri devi (IGM 100/980) and Tsaagan mangas (IGM 100/1015). The postzygapophyseal
facets face posteroventrally, rather than strictly ventrally as in Shri devi (IGM 100/980) and
Tsaagan mangas (IGM 100/1015). The ventral surface of the centrum is flat and smooth, with
one ventrolaterally facing parapophysis visible at the anteroventral corner of the lateral surface
of the centrum. As in eudromaeosaurs generally but unlike most other paravians, there are no
traces of carotid processes. The single posterior cervical is poorly preserved, but is recognized
by a keel on the ventral surface of the centrum, which is also found in the posteriormost cervi-
cal vertebrae of Shri devi (IGM 100/980) and Tsaagan mangas (IGM 100/1015).
Three anterior dorsals are preserved in articulation in a partially prepared block; rather
than additional preparation, they were subjected to µCT scanning to visualize their morphol-
ogy (fig. 8). All three vertebrae preserve hypapophyses, which are restricted to anterior dorsal
vertebrae in deinonychosaurs (Gauthier, 1986). On this basis we identified these vertebrae as
D1–D3. D2 preserves a complete neural spine, which is anteroposteriorly broad and low com-
pared to the anterior dorsal neural spines of both Shri devi (IGM 100/980) and Tsaagan mangas
(IGM 100/1015). Rather than the subtriangular profile common to the anterior dorsal neural
spines of dromaeosaurids, the posterior margin projects posteriorly to form a distinctly con-
cave posterior margin, as in the neural spine of D6 in Shri devi (IGM 100/980). All three
preserve hypapophyses at the anterior end of the centrum. These are short compared to the
elongate hypapophyses of some oviraptorids, such as Citipati osmolskae (Napoli et al., in prep.),
but similar in size to those of most pennaraptorans, including dromaeosaurids like Shri devi
(IGM 100/980) and oviraptorosaurs such as Nomingia gobiensis (possibly a junior synonym of
Elmisaurus rarus; see Funston et al., 2021) and Khaan mckennai (Barsbold et al., 2000; Balanoff
and Norell, 2012). The transverse processes are poorly preserved but appear to be anteropos-
teriorly broad at their base, tapering toward their lateral extent. Anterior and ventral to the
transverse processes, D2 and D3 clearly bear pneumatic fossae. Dorsal 3 has distinct infrapre-
zygapophyseal and infradiapophyseal fossae, which are separated by a thin, almost transversely
oriented anterior centrodiapophyseal lamina. This lamina is not present in D2, and it is unclear
whether the one large pneumatic fossa simply represents the infraprezygapophyseal fossa or
conjoined infraprezygapophyseal and infradiapophyseal fossae. Unlike Shri devi (IGM 100/980)
but like most other theropods, D1–D3 have a single lateral pleurocoel on each side of the cen-
trum; only the left side is observable in D1 and D2, but D3 preserves one pleurocoel on both
the right and left. Unlike in most theropods, these pleurocoels are anteriorly displaced, with
their posterior margin situated at approximately the anteroposterior midpoint of the centrum.
Dorsal 4 is not articulated with the block containing D1–D3 (fig. 9). It has a smaller, less
prominent hypapophysis, and is preserved in articulation with a partial middorsal (D5). Dorsal
4 displays clear infraprezygapophyseal and infradiapophyseal fossae, separated by a thin, pos-
terodorsally inclined anterior centrodiapophyseal lamina. The posterior centrodiapophyseal
lamina is much larger, but incomplete, and a potential infrapostzygapophyseal fossa is not
exposed. The neural spine is taller than that of D2, but appears to have had a similar posterior
projection at its dorsal end. The pleurocoel on the centrum of D4 is more strongly anteriorly
displaced than those of the preceding vertebrae. Dorsal 5 is poorly exposed, but clearly shows
the characteristic pediculate parapophysis of dromaeosaurids (Norell and Makovicky, 1997).
The parapophysis appears to be below the level of the transverse process, unlike Velociraptor
mongoliensis (IGM 100/986) but like Shri devi (IGM 100/980) and Deinonychus antirrhopus
(Ostrom, 1969b; Turner et al., 2021). Dorsal 5 lacks a hypapophysis, but has a keeled ventral
margin of the centrum.
Two midposterior dorsals are well preserved. Based on a general trend of centrum shorten-
ing, one can be confidently identified as more anterior, though its precise position in the ver-
tebral column is difficult to determine (fig. 10). It is missing most its neural spine, and the
neural arch is only exposed on the left side. The parapophyses are poorly preserved, but are
clearly projected on pedicels as in D5. The vertebra preserves infraprezygapophyseal, infradi-
apophyseal, and infrapostzygapophyseal fossae, which are larger than those of D4. The centrum
is spool shaped and ventrally rounded, lacking a midline keel. The vertebra clearly preserves a
hyposphene on its left postzygapophysis, but the meeting (or lack thereof) of the contralateral
hyposphene is unobservable. A subsequent midposterior dorsal is more completely prepared
(fig. 11). Its parapophysis are laterally projected, but their pedicels are poorly developed. The
infraprezygapophyseal, infradiapophyseal, and infrapostzygapophyseal fossae are present. The
A ns
ns
prp
prp
prz
prz poz
poz
prp
prp
tp
tp ns
ns
nsp
nsp
B
iprf
iprf
acdl
acdl
pcdl
pcdl
prp
prp prp
prp
5 mm
5 mm
hyp
hysp pl
pl idf
idf
hyposphenes do not meet on the midline but are connected by a web of bone, in contrast to
the typical dromaeosaurid condition in which this web of bone is absent. The posteriormost
dorsal has a proportionally elongate, rectangular neural spine, a relatively anteroposteriorly
short centrum with large, slightly concave anterior and posterior articular surfaces (fig. 12).
The hyposphenes on this vertebra are also joined by a web of bone.
Two caudal vertebrae, representing one anterior caudal and one distal caudal, are well
preserved. The anterior caudal has a concave anterior articular surface and weakly concave
posterior articular surface (fig. 13). The prezygapophyses are elongate, projecting approximately
twice as far anterodorsally as the extent of the prezygapophyseal articular facets. There is a faint
medial ridge between the prezygapophyses at the anterior margin of the neural arch, which
continues posteriorly to become the anterior edge of the neural spine. The neural spine is
recumbent and projects posterodorsally. The postzygapophyses are elongate anteroposteriorly,
lack a hyposphene, and have ventrolaterally facing articular facets. The neural spine and
postzygapophyses overhang the posterior margin of the centrum. The transverse processes
project laterally and slightly posteriorly, and expand at their distal extent. The ventral surface
of the centrum is marked by an hourglass-shaped sulcus, which is wide anteriorly and poste-
riorly but thin and faint at the anteroposterior midpoint. The centrum is three times as long
anteroposteriorly as it is mediolaterally wide. Unlike in Citipati osmolskae (Napoli and Norell,
in prep.) there is no trace of pneumatic foramina or fossae on this midcaudal. The posterior
caudal (fig. 14) is less completely preserved, but a cast of a now-missing second posterior cau-
dal is present, and preserves the missing pre- and postzygapophyses. The prezygapophyses are
elongate, as is typical for eudromaeosaurs and exemplified by Deinonychus antirrhopus (Ostrom,
1969b) and Velociraptor mongoliensis (Norell and Makovicky, 1999). There is no trace of a
neural spine, save for a faint ridge along the dorsal surface of the neural arch, which is continu-
ous with a faint sulcus between the postzygapophyses, which are elongate and overhang the
posterior extent of the centrum. The transverse processes are extremely reduced but discernable
on the lateral face of the centrum, which is also three times as long as wide and bears an
hourglass-shaped ventral sulcus.
Forelimb
The forelimb of IGM 100/981 is represented by fragments of humerus, radius, ulna, and
part of the left manus. The distal ends of the right and left humeri are preserved, as well as a
fragment of the proximal end of the right. Proximally, the right humerus exhibits a broken, but
clearly small, deltopectoral crest (fig. 15). The lateral surface of the apex of the deltopectoral
crest is rugose, and the medial surface is striated. The distal articular surfaces are damaged,
but a distinct ectepicondyle is evident on both elements (fig. 16). Anteriorly, there is a well-
FIGURE 9. D4 and partial D5 of IGM 100/981 in A, dorsal and B, left lateral views. Abbreviations: acdl, anterior
centrodiapophyseal lamina; hyp, hypapophysis; idf, infradiapophyseal fossa; iprf, infraprezygapophyseal fossa;
ns, neural spine; nsp, posterior extension of neural spine; pcdl, posterior centrodiapophyseal lamina; pl, pleu-
rocoel; poz, postzygapophysis; prp, parapophysis; prz, prezygapophysis, tp, transverse process.
ns
iprf
prz poz
ipof
acdl
prp
pl idf pcdl
55 mm
mm
FIGURE 10. First preserved posterior dorsal of IGM 100/981 in left lateral view. Abbreviations: acdl, anterior
centrodiapophyseal lamina; idf, infradiapophyseal fossa; ipof, infrapostzygapophyseal fossa; iprf, infrapre-
zygapophyseal fossa; ns, neural spine; pcdl, posterior centrodiapophyseal lamina; pl, pleurocoel; poz, postzyg-
apophysis; prp, parapophysis; prz, prezygapophysis.
developed fossa that likely corresponds to the fossa musculus brachialis (Baumel and Witmer,
1993) of modern birds. Posteriorly, there is a slightly concave fossa on the medial half of the
element which may correspond to the sulcus humerotricipitalis of modern birds (Baumel and
Witmer, 1993).
The proximal end of a right ulna and the proximal and distal ends of the right radius are
preserved (fig. 17). The ulna has concave medial (= ventral) and a convex lateral (= dorsal) coty-
lae. As in all dromaeosaurids, the olecranon process is small and poorly developed. There is no
indication of quill knobs along the posterior edge of the ulna, unlike in Velociraptor mongoliensis
(Turner et al., 2007a). The coronoid process is just distal to the lateral cotyle. As in Balaur bondoc,
ns
A
tp
poz
ns
B
poz
hsp
pl
11 cm
cm
FIGURE 11. Middle preserved posterior dorsal of IGM 100/981 in A, dorsal and B, right lateral views. Abbrevia-
tions: hsp, hyposphene; ns, neural spine; pl, pleurocoel; poz, postzygapophysis; tp, transverse process.
A
prz
prz
B ns
ns
prz
prz
11 cm
cm
FIGURE 12. Last preserved posterior dorsal of IGM 100/981 in A, anterior and B, left lateral views. Dorsal is
to the right in both panels. Abbreviations: ns, neural spine; prz, prezygapophysis.
a small ridge progresses distally from the coronoid process (Brusatte et al., 2013). The anterior
surface of the ulna forms a subtriangular plane just distal to the cotylae, which is bounded by the
ridge from the coronoid process and a ridge from the anterior margin of the medial cotyle. These
ridges meet to form a keeled anterior margin of the ulna further distally, which is roughened and
presumably functioned for soft-tissue attachment in life (possibly for the radioulnar syndesmo-
A ns
ns B tp
ns
poz
poz prz
prz
poz
poz
tp
C D
vs
ns
E F prz
prz
nc
nc poz
poz nc
nc
tp
11 cm
cm
FIGURE 13. Anterior caudal vertebra of IGM 100/981 in A, right lateral, B, dorsal, C, left lateral, D, ventral,
E, posterior, and F, anterior views. Abbreviations : nc, neural canal; ns, neural spine; poz, postzygapophysis,
prz, prezygapophysis; tp, transverse process; vs, ventral sulcus.
sis). The radius preserves a flattened and expanded distal end, as in other pennaraptorans such
as Citipati osmolskae (IGM 100/978; Napoli and Norell, in prep.; fig. 18).
The manus is represented a partial, articulated left carpus and metacarpus (fig. 19), and
isolated phalanges. In all elements, the manual morphology corresponds closely to that of other
dromaeosaurids such as Velociraptor mongoliensis (IGM 100/982), Deinonychus antirrhopus
(Ostrom, 1969b), Zhenyuanlong suni (Lü and Brusatte, 2015), and Microraptor zhaoianus (Xu
et al., 2003). The semilunate carpal is large and complete, capping most of metacarpal I and all
A poz B C
poz
nc
D
tp
E
tp
poz F
11 cm
cm vs
FIGURE 14. Posterior caudal vertebra of IGM 100/981 in A, right lateral, B, anterior, C, posterior, D, dorsal,
E, left lateral, and F, ventral views. Abbreviations: nc, neural canal; poz, postzygapophysis; tp, transverse
process; vs, ventral sulcus.
of metacarpal II. Metacarpal I is short and broad with a ginglymoid distal articular surface.
Proximally metatarsal II is roughly as wide mediolaterally as is metacarpal I, but is missing its
distal extent. The preserved proximal portion of metacarpal III is reduced to a thin splint and
is affixed to the medial side of metacarpal II, as in most dromaeosaurids but unlike the pro-
portionally robust metacarpal III of the microraptorine Wulong bohaiensis (Poust et al., 2020).
While most phalanges are not confidently assignable, the right I-2, II-2, and II-3 phalanges are
identified (figs. 20, 21). I-2 compares favorably to that of Velociraptor mongoliensis (IGM
100/982), albeit with a less strongly developed flexor tubercle. II-2 (fig. 20) resembles that of
Velociraptor mongoliensis (IGM 100/982) as well, but with a weaker proximodorsal lip, larger
and farther projecting proximoventral lip, and less deeply excavated collateral ligament pits.
The proximodorsal lip of the ungual II-3 (fig. 21) is similarly less well developed in IGM
100/981 than in IGM 100/982.
Hind Limb
The ilium of IGM 100/981 is only represented by the left postacetabular process and ischi-
adic peduncle (fig. 22). The rim of the iliac blade is smooth, with no distinct tubercles or
A B
dpc
55 mm
mm
FIGURE 15. Proximal end of right humerus of IGM 100/981 in A, lateral and B, medial views. Abbreviation:
dpc, deltopectoral crest.
rugosities. The postacetabular process is acuminate, rather than rounded or squared. The brevis
fossa is not visible in lateral view. In overall morphology, the preserved portion of the ilium
compares favorably with that of Shri devi (IGM 100/980) and Velociraptor mongoliensis (IGM
100/985; IGM 100/986). The pubis is represented by the distal ends of the right and left ele-
ments, with the left being more complete (fig. 23). Part of the pubic apron is preserved, arising
from the anterior edge of the left pubic shaft. The pubic apron does not appear to have extended
as far proximally as in Shri devi (IGM 100/980) or Velociraptor mongoliensis (IGM 100/985;
Norell and Makovicky, 1997, 1999). The pubic boot is small, as in other dromaeosaurids, lack-
ing a discrete anterior process and with only a small posterior process.
Both femora of IGM 100/981 are present. The right femur is well preserved (figs. 24, 25),
whereas the left femur is broken into several fragments, missing its distal end, and generally
poorly preserved. Its head and greater trochanter are eroded, and a small portion of its shaft is
missing, but many informative details of the proximal and distal ends of the element are readily
interpretable. As in Velociraptor mongoliensis (IGM 100/986), the femoral head is directed
strictly medially in anterior and posterior view. In dorsal view, it is slightly more anteriorly
directed than that of Velociraptor mongoliensis (IGM 100/986). There is no indication of a capi-
A B
5 mm
FIGURE 16. Distal end of right humerus of IGM 100/981 in A, posterior and B, anterior views.
tal ligament fovea. Posteriorly, there is a wide and deep groove passing distolaterally that grades
into the neck of the femoral head. A similar groove is present in Velociraptor mongoliensis (IGM
100/986), in which it is narrower and partially enclosed proximomedially. It may also be pres-
ent in Shri devi (IGM 100/980), but severe erosion of the proximal end of the femur in this
specimen makes this ambiguous. The greater trochanter is not preserved, but the lesser tro-
chanter is present. It is rounded in lateral view, and projects farther anteriorly than that of Shri
devi (IGM 100/980) but not so far anteriorly as in Velociraptor mongoliensis (IGM 100/986).
As in other dromaeosaurids, but unlike oviraptorids such as Khaan mckennai (Balanoff and
Norell, 2012) and Citipati osmolskae (Napoli and Norell., in prep.), there is no nutrient foramen
situated medial to the lesser trochanter on the anterior surface of the femur. As in Velociraptor
mongoliensis (IGM 100/986), there is a ridge on the lateral surface of the femur that begins at
the level of the lesser trochanter and progresses distally before grading into the femoral shaft.
In IGM 100/981, this structure is inflated relative to that of Velociraptor (IGM 100/986), and
lacks a distinct peak; however, it is less distinct than that of Shri devi (IGM 100/980). The femur
lacks a distinct fourth trochanter, which is represented solely by a ridge on the posteromedial
corner of the proximal femur. The ridgelike conformation of the fourth trochanter is similar
to the more well-developed fourth trochanter in Velociraptor mongoliensis (IGM 100/986;
Norell and Makovicky, 1999) and unlike that of Shri devi (IGM 100/980), in which it is present
as a depression with rugose, raised sides (Turner et al., 2021). No nutrient foramen is present
A B op C D
cp cp
mc
lc
cp
55 mm
mm
FIGURE 17. Proximal end of right ulna of IGM 100/981 in A, medial, B, anterior, C, lateral, and D, posterior
views. Abbreviations: cp, coronoid process; lc, lateral cotyle; mc, medial cotyle; op, olecranon process.
on the posterior surface of the femur medial to the fourth trochanter, contrasting Velociraptor
mongoliensis (IGM 100/986).
The lateral femoral condyle is mediolaterally wider than the medial condyle, which is strap-
like in distal view, as in Velociraptor mongoliensis (IGM 100/986) but unlike Shri devi (IGM
100/980; fig. 25). The lateral condyle also extends slightly further distally than the medial, as
in Velociraptor mongoliensis. The crista tibiofibularis forms a sulcus along its juncture with the
femoral shaft on the lateral face of the bone, unlike both Velociraptor mongoliensis (IGM
100/986) and Shri devi (IGM 100/980), in which these surfaces grade into one another smoothly.
At the distal extent of the crista tibiofibularis is a rounded ectocondylar tubercle, which is
clearly demarcated from the lateral condyle and is laterally deflected, like in Shri devi (IGM
100/980) but unlike Velociraptor mongoliensis (IGM 100/986). The medial supracondylar ridge
is poorly developed, and the popliteal fossa is more weakly excavated than in Shri devi (IGM
100/980), in which it is prominent and deep; however, it is more strongly developed than that
of Velociraptor mongoliensis (IGM 100/986).
The proximal end of the left tibia (fig. 26) of IGM 100/981 is present, but so poorly preserved
that it offers few recognizable morphological details. Both fibulae are missing. A partial left
astragalus is preserved in association with left metatarsals II, III, and IV, which are poorly pre-
served (fig. 27). The astragalus is preserved in posterior view, with an incomplete ascending
process. The proximal half of right metatarsal II, however, is well preserved and isolated (fig. 28),
and the small right metatarsal I is also present (fig. 29). The right metatarsal I is almost complete,
with a subtriangular, platelike proximal shaft that is roughened laterally for articulation with
metatarsal II. The subtriangular profile of this surface is similar to that of oviraptorids such as
A B
5 mm
FIGURE 18. Distal end of right radius of IGM 100/981 in A, anterior and B, posterior views.
Citipati osmolskae (IGM 100/978; Napoli et al., in prep.) and Shri devi (IGM 100/980), but differs
from Velociraptor mongoliensis (IGM 100/986) in which it is straplike with subparallel anterior
and posterior edges. This articular surface ends just proximal to the distal head of metatarsal I,
unlike in Shri devi (IGM 100/980), in which they are separated by nonarticular shaft. Metatarsal
I of IGM 100/981 further differs from that of Shri devi (IGM 100/980) by its possession of a
medial collateral ligament pit, and its deeply excavated lateral collateral ligament pit. Metatarsal
II is markedly thinner than metatarsal III, as in Velociraptor mongoliensis (IGM 100/986) but
unlike Shri devi (IGM 100/980), in which metatarsal II is apomorphically broad. Its lateral surface
is flattened for articulation with metatarsal III. Proximally, there is a small tubercle along the
posterior margin of the element, which is also found in Velociraptor mongoliensis (IGM 100/986).
More distally, there is a raised, roughened eminence along the posteromedial shaft. This is in the
same relative position as a distinct crest in Velociraptor mongoliensis (IGM 100/985; IGM 100/986)
which is tentatively homologized with the medial plantar crest of modern birds (Norell and
mcII mcII
A B
mcI mcI
mcIII
mcIII
slc
55 mm
mm
FIGURE 19. Left manus of IGM 100/981 in A, extensor and B, palmar views. Abbreviations: mcI, metacarpal
I; mcII, metacarpal II; mcIII, metacarpal III; slc, semilunate carpal.
Makovicky, 1997); they likely represent the same structure. Both right and left metatarsal II are
incomplete distally, but the proximal articular surface of phalanx II-1 indicates that it had a gin-
glymoid distal end, as is characteristic of dromaeosaurids.
The left metatarsus, which is poorly preserved but in articulation, illustrates several
salient features. Left metatarsal IV is approximately 113 mm in proximodistal length, while
the right femur is approximately 220 mm in proximodistal length. Although metatarsal III
would have been the longest metatarsal, as in all theropods, the selected values allow a
conservative estimate of metatarsus/femur length of 51%. This is substantially greater than
that of both Velociraptor mongoliensis and Shri devi, in which the metatarsus is 35% and
44% the length of the femur, respectively. The metatarsus of IGM 100/981 therefore ranks
among the longest known among dromaeosaurids, which generally have short metatarsals
in relation to the length of their femur. Metatarsal III is visible in anterior view for the
length of the metatarsus, which is therefore nonarctometatarsal. The distal articular sur-
face of metatarsal III is missing, but the preserved proximal articular surface of phalanx
III-1 indicates that it was ginglymoid in morphology. The distal articular surface of meta-
tarsal IV is nonginglymoid, as in all theropods.
Sixteen pedal phalanges are present, comprising elements from digits I–IV on both sides;
however, few digits are completely represented (figs. 30, 31). Digit I is represented by a small
clp
A
B pvl
55 mm
mm
FIGURE 20. Right phalanx II-2 of IGM 100/981 in A, medial and B, extensor views. Abbreviations: clp, col-
lateral ligament pit; pvl, proximoventral lip.
ungual phalanx that is nearly identical to, but about three-quarters the size of, that of Shri devi
(IGM 100/980). Digit II is represented by phalanges II-1, II-2, and II-3 on the left side, and
phalanges II-2 and II-3 on the right. Left II-1 has a proximal articular surface with a strong
anteroposterior ridge dividing it into medial and lateral cotyles, indicating that metatarsal II
indeed had a ginglymoid distal articular surface. Its collateral ligament pits are deeply exca-
vated, but it has only a weakly developed extensor tendon pit. II-2 is strongly modified for
hyperextension with a distinct lobate flexor heel; it preserves very weak collateral ligament pits
and lacks an extensor tendon pit. Neither right nor left II-3 preserves anything but their proxi-
mal end; however, these are about half the size of the hypertrophied phalanx II-3 of Shri devi
(IGM 100/980), suggesting that this taxon had a relatively reduced “trenchant” second pedal
ungual. Phalanx III-1 is the largest individual phalanx, with well-developed collateral ligament
and extensor tendon pits that become weaker in successive phalanges in digit III. The proximal
end of ungual III-4 is present and has a long, pointed anterodorsal lip with a weakly developed
flexor tubercle. The phalanges of digit IV are smaller than those of digit III but are otherwise
similar in morphology. Phalanx IV-1 lacks an anteroposterior ridge on its proximal articular
surface, corresponding to the nonginglymoid distal articular surface of metatarsal IV.
PHYLOGENETIC ANALYSIS
To test the phylogenetic position of Kuru kulla, we scored IGM 100/981 in the most recent
version of the Theropod Working Group (TWiG) matrix (Turner et al., 2021), which was modi-
A B 2021
I-2
C D
II-3
NAPOLI ET AL.: NEW DROMAEOSAURID FROM KHULSAN
mm
55 mm
FIGURE 21. Manual unguals of IGM 100/981 in A, C, lateral and B, D, medial views. Abbreviations: I-2, ungual phalanx I-2; II-3, ungual phalanx II-3.
31
ip
bf
ip
1 cm
FIGURE 22. Left ilium of IGM 100/981 in A, lateral and B, medial views. Abbreviations: bf, brevis fossa; ip,
ischiadic peduncle.
A B
pua
11 cm
cm
FIGURE 23. Pubis of IGM 100/981 in A, posterior and B, anterior views. Abbreviation: pua, pubic apron.
fied from Brusatte et al. (2014) and includes additional paravian observations for Pei et al.
(2020). Several modifications were made to scorings of taxa already present in the matrix.
Adasaurus mongoliensis was rescored to state 2 for character 72, describing its characteristically
large surangular foramen. Firsthand reexamination of Velociraptor mongoliensis (IGM 100/982)
and Tsaagan mangas (IGM 100/1015) found that they lacked a lip separating the ectopterygoid
recess from the lateral temporal fenestra, and so they were newly scored as 0 for character 590.
Following prior analyses of this dataset, we used equally weighted parsimony analysis imple-
mented in TNT v. 1.5 (Goloboff et al., 2003; Goloboff and Catalano, 2016). We conducted
multiple replications of new technology searches until 20 hits at the shortest length were
achieved; the best trees obtained during this search were subjected to a final round of TBR
A B C D
ltr
lri lri pgr
tri tri
1 cm
cm
FIGURE 24. Proximal half of right femur of IGM 100/981 in A, anterior, B, medial, C, lateral, and D, posterior
views. Abbreviations: lri, lateral ridge; ltr, lesser trochanter; pgr, posterior groove; tri, ridge homologous to
the fourth trochanter.
branch swapping. Zero-length branches were collapsed, following rule 1 of Coddington and
Scharff (1994). Dataset and supplementary files are available on MorphoBank (http://morpho-
bank.org/permalink/?P4102).
This analysis resulted in 100,000 most parsimonious trees (memory overflowed) of 3411
steps (CI = 0.317, RI = 0.782, RC = 0.248). Bremer support values were calculated in TNT by
holding 1000 trees that were between 1 and 9 steps longer than the most parsimonious trees,
after which the bsupport command was run to assess which clades appeared at each suboptimal
increment. Bremer support values of 9 should therefore be interpreted as “9 or more”; within
Paraves, Bremer support is consistently low, so this does not obscure meaningful information.
Jackknife support was calculated under a deletion probability of 0.20 with 1000 replicates.
A reduced strict consensus excluding the conflicting positions of a number of fragmentary
dromaeosaurids (see TNT file on Morphobank) recovers Kuru kulla as the sister taxon to
Adasaurus mongoliensis (fig. 32). Three characters optimize as synapomorphies of this relation-
ship—a posterior surangular foramen that is ~30% the depth of the surangular (char. 72.2),
absence of a fourth trochanter of the femur (char. 184.1), and thoracic centra that are markedly
longer than their midpoint width (char. 312.1). The placement of Kuru kulla as sister to Adasau-
rus mongoliensis is supported by a Bremer value of 2 and a Jackknife frequency of 78. We note
that these taxa further share a relatively reduced pedal digit II (in comparison to other eudro-
A B C D
ctf ctf
ect
ect
msr
gr ect
11 cm
cm pof
FIGURE 25. Distal half of right femur of IGM 100/981 in A, anterior, B, medial, C, lateral, and D, posterior
views. Abbreviations: ctf, crista tibiofibularis; ect, ectocondylar tubercle; gr, groove formed by femoral shaft
and crista tibiofibularis; msr, medial supracondylar ridge; pof, popliteal fossa.
maeosaurs), but that no character state in the TWiG matrix currently captures this morphol-
ogy. We refrain from adding characters to the matrix at this time. However, we note that
Bremer support throughout Paraves is quite low (seldom higher than 2, usually 1 or 0).
Increased character sampling to resolve ingroup relationships within Paraves, especially within
Dromaeosauridae, represents an important objective of future work.
DISCUSSION
Kuru kulla, the second velociraptorine eudromaeosaur reported from Khulsan, was appar-
ently found only hours before the much more complete holotype specimen of Shri devi. The
recognition of this taxon adds new detail to a recently proposed faunal structure for drom-
aeosaurid-bearing localities across the Gobi Desert—namely that the dromaeosaurid fauna at
Gobi localities appeared to be characterized by the presence of distinct halszkaraptorine and
velociraptorine dromaeosaurid taxa (Turner et al., 2021). Kuru kulla is the first velociraptorine
dromaeosaurid to be described based on remains from a locality with a previously known velo-
ciraptorine taxon. It is impossible to directly compare the potential diets of these two species,
as the skull and dentition of Shri devi are unknown, but given their close similarity in size and
postcranial anatomy, and their close phylogenetic relationship, it seems likely that their diets
were similar. It is unlikely that Khulsan was unique in its possession of two velociraptorine
dromaeosaurids; indeed, the Zos Wash dromaeosaurid (IGM 100/3503) was found less than a
kilometer from Ukhaa Tolgod and has a frontal that differs substantially from that of Tsaagan
A B
1 cm
FIGURE 26. Left tibia of IGM 100/981 in A, lateral and B, medial views.
A B ast
II
III
IV
11 cm
cm
FIGURE 27. Left metatarsus of IGM 100/981 in A, posterior and B, anterior views. Abbreviations: ast, astraga-
lus; II; metatarsal II; III, metatarsal III; IV, metatarsal IV.
A B
tbl
mpc
55 mm
mm
FIGURE 28. Right metatarsal II of IGM 100/981 in A, medial and B, lateral views. Abbreviations : mpc, medial
plantar crest; tbl, tubercle.
5 mm
FIGURE 29. Right metatarsal I of IGM 100/981 in A, medial and B, lateral views.
mangas (Norell et al., 2006), the only described Ukhaa Tolgod dromaeosaurid. While the Zos
Wash dromaeosaurid was provisionally referred to Velociraptor mongoliensis by Turner et al.
(2007a), the specimen is currently under study and may prove to represent a distinct taxon;
regardless, it is not referrable to Tsaagan mangas, and thus indicates that the fauna of Ukhaa
Tolgod also had at least two velociraptorines present. At least one more eudromaeosaur speci-
men (ZPAL MgD-I/97) is known from Khulsan, which is currently referred to Velociraptor
mongoliensis (Barsbold and Osmólska, 1999). This specimen clearly represents a taxon distinct
from Kuru kulla, but whether it belongs to Velociraptor mongoliensis, Shri devi, or a third, yet
unrecognized taxon remains to be seen. Linheraptor exquisitus and Velociraptor osmolskae are
both known from the Wulansuhai Formation (Godefroit et al., 2008; Xu et al., 2010), but were
found ~6 km apart, and are not confidently known to come from the same stratum; therefore,
I-2
II-1 II-2 II-3
III-1 III-2
11 cm
cm
FIGURE 30. Right pedal phalanges of IGM 100/981 in lateral view. Roman numerals denote digit number and
Arabic the phalangeal position.
their potential coexistence cannot be established or rejected. There is little reason to assume a
priori that we have recovered the maximum dromaeosaurid diversity from any of these locali-
ties, given their demonstrable richness at Khulsan and the general rarity of dromaeosaurid
remains. Turner et al. (2021) noted that Ukhaa Tolgod, Tugrugyin Shireh, and Khulsan all
hosted a single known velociraptorine that was distinct from those at the other two localities.
Kuru kulla therefore adds to this faunal structure, and suggests that dromaeosaurid diversity in
Cretaceous faunas was higher than previously appreciated (as predicted by Norell et al., 2006).
As fieldwork and study of Gobi fossil material continues, it is possible that other Gobi localities
will prove to have hosted multiple coexisting velociraptorines—whether the dromaeosaurid
faunas of each locality remain distinct as more fossils are discovered will be important for
assessing the mechanisms that led to the development of each locality’s characteristic fauna.
The recognition of Kuru kulla as a distinct taxon from Shri devi with shared provenance
has important implications for the taxonomic referral of newly discovered dinosaur material.
It is often implicitly assumed that fossil-bearing localities or strata will yield a single species
for each loosely defined “type” of animal, with competitive exclusion frequently invoked,
II-3 II-2 II-1
III-1
III-4
IV-1
55 mm
mm
FIGURE 31. Left pedal phalanges of IGM 100/981 in lateral view. Roman numerals denote digit number and
Arabic the phalangeal position.
without positive evidence, to justify this assumption (Molnar, 1990). As a result, all remains
of animals belonging to particular clades (of varying levels of inclusivity) from a shared
locality or formation are commonly referred to a single taxon unless stratigraphic separation
can be demonstrated. For instance, Djadokhta-equivalent dromaeosaurid fossils were tradi-
tionally assigned to Velociraptor mongoliensis until the description of Tsaagan mangas (which
was itself provisionally referred to Velociraptor for several years). It is possible that some
workers would have ascribed the differences between IGM 100/981 and IGM 100/980 (the
holotype of Shri devi) to intraspecific variation if fewer overlapping elements were known,
especially given the shared provenance and close relationship of the two taxa. Had this been
the case, Shri devi would have become an unrecognized chimera, which would have been an
unknown confound in future studies. The recognition of Kuru kulla is important in demon-
strating that the coexistence of closely related taxa with similar baupläne and body sizes was
Liaoningornis longidigitris
Vorona berivotrensis
2 Concornis lacustris
Cathayornis yandica
Neuquenornis volans
2
Pengornis houi
Gobipteryx minuta
Iaceornis marshii
Ichthyornis
3 Chauna torquata
3 Anas platyrhynchus
2
3 5 Crax pauxi
Gallus gallus
Crypturellus undulatus
Lithornis
Limenavis patagonica
Baptornis advenus
Hesperornis
2 Apsaravis ukhaana
4 Yanornis martini
Sonlingornis linghensis
2 4 Yixianornis grabaui
Hongshanornis longicresta
2 Patagopteryx deferrariisi
Confuciusornis sanctus
2 Jixiangornis orientalis
2 Jeholornis prima
Sapeornis chaoyangensis
Archaeopteryx lithographica
Aurornis xui
Avialae Eosinopteryx brevipenna
Anchiornis huxleyi
Xiaotingia zhengi
Mei long
Jinfengopteryx elegans
Sinusonasus magnodens
Sinovenator changii
Zanabazar junior
3 2 3
Saurornithoides mongoliensis
Paraves Troodontidae Troodon formosus
Xixiasaurus henanensis
Byronosaurus jaffei
EK troodontid (IGM 100/44)
Sinornithoides youngi
3 Unenlagia
3 Austroraptor cabazai
2
Buitreraptor gonzalozorum
Rahonavis ostromi
Hesperonychus elizabethae
Microraptor zhaoianus
Changyuraptor yangi
Deinonychosauria Sinornithosaurus millenii
Zhenyuanlong suni
Tianyuraptor ostromi
2 Linheraptor exquisitus
Tsaagan mangas
2 Kuru kulla
Adasaurus mongoliensis
2 Shri devi
Velociraptor mongoliensis
Balaur bondoc
Deinonychus antirrhopus
Dromaeosauridae 2
Achillobator giganticus
Utahraptor ostrommaysorum
Dromaeosaurus albertensis
Bambiraptor feinbergorum
Saurornitholestes langstoni
Shanag ashile
Mahakala omnogovae
FIGURE 32. Phylogenetic position of Kuru kulla within Paraves. Reduced strict consensus of 100,000 most
parsimonious trees (3411 steps, CI = 0.317, RI = 0.782, RC = 0.248), excluding several fragmentary dromaeo-
saurids. Bremer support is 1 unless noted. Highlight denotes Velociraptorinae.
a real phenomenon in nonavialan dinosaur faunas, just as it is in the modern day. As such,
care must be taken when referring new material to known taxa—similarity and shared prov-
enance are not necessarily sufficient justification for referral to an existing species, especially
if the new specimen is fragmentary or missing its most diagnostic skeletal elements. We
advocate an apomorphy-based approach to taxonomic referral, in which the apomorphies
observable on a particular specimen justify its assignment to the least inclusive clade pos-
sible. This approach was pioneered by Norell (1989), and has recently been used in studies
of Triassic archosauromorphs (Nesbitt et al., 2007; Nesbitt and Stocker, 2008). While apo-
morphy-based identification does not always allow for assignment at the species level (Bell
et al., 2010), it is advantageous in that it does not assign specimens to a particular taxon
unless there is positive evidence for its membership in that taxon, and therefore is unlikely
to inadvertently create chimeric assemblages. Furthermore, future work quantifying the mag-
nitude and distribution of intraspecific variation in extant taxa remains an important goal,
as such data can provide crucial guidelines regarding which characters are most and least
likely to be intraspecifically variable (and therefore, which are most reliable as justification
for taxonomic separation). When comparisons to previously documented taxa from the same
strata or locality are impossible due to nonoverlap of preserved elements, we recommend
refraining from assigning the new specimen at the specific level until more material is avail-
able for comparison. A combination of paleontological fieldwork and continual taxonomic
reappraisal is therefore of critical importance in building our understanding of the diversity
evidenced by the fossil record.
SUMMARY
Kuru kulla is a new species of velociraptorine dromaeosaurid from the Barun Goyot
Formation at Khulsan. It is the first velociraptorine to be recognized from a locality and
stratum that has previously yielded a different velociraptorine species, in this case, the
recently described Shri devi (Turner et al., 2021). As such, it provides important insight
into the structure of Late Cretaceous nonavian dinosaur-bearing faunas. Kuru kulla dem-
onstrates that similar, closely related dinosaur species could and did coexist, contrary to
general expectations that such species would not tolerate each other due to competitive
exclusion (Molnar, 1990). This has ramifications for the taxonomic referral of new fos-
sil material and argues strongly for an apomorphy-based (rather than similarity- and
provenance-based) approach to referral.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
We thank the members of the 1991 MAS-AMNH field crew for their efforts, which led to
the discovery of IGM 100/981 and allowed this study to be conducted. The photographs com-
prising most of the figures in this paper were skillfully produced by Mick Ellison. IGM 100/981
was CT scanned at the AMNH Microscopy and Imaging Facility, and we thank Morgan Chase
and Andrew K. Smith for their help with scanning, reconstruction, and visualization. We fur-
ther thank Lyn Merrill for surface scanning the majority of the specimen, Suzann Goldberg for
her detective work regarding its curation, and Peter Makovicky for his insights on the Zos
Wash material. The authors are indebted to Michael Pittman and an anonymous reviewer for
their comments and feedback, which greatly improved the quality of the paper. J.G.N. and
M.A.N. were funded by the Richard Gilder Graduate School, Newt and Calista Gingrich
Endowment, and Macauley Family Endowment. Comparative data used in this study were
collected by A.H.T. when supported by National Science Foundation award DEB 0608003.
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A New Dromaeosaurid (Dinosauria: Coelurosauria) from

Article in American Museum Novitates · November 2021

James G. Napoli Alexander Ruebenstahl

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Bhart-Anjan Bhullar Alan H Turner

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A New Dromaeosaurid (Dinosauria: Coelurosauria)

JAMES G. NAPOLI,1,2 ALEXANDER A. RUEBENSTAHL,3 BHART-ANJAN S.

Copyright © American Museum of Natural History 2021 ISSN 0003-0082

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Bhart-Anjan Bhullar Alan H Turner

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A New Dromaeosaurid (Dinosauria: Coelurosauria)

JAMES G. NAPOLI,1,2 ALEXANDER A. RUEBENSTAHL,3 BHART-ANJAN S.

Copyright © American Museum of Natural History 2021 ISSN 0003-0082

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