Juan D. Porfiri

National University of Comahue, Neuquén, Argentina · Facultad de Ingeniería-Departamento de Geología y Petróleo/Museo de Ciencias Naturales-UNCo. Museo del Desierto Patagónico de Añelo (Añelo city)

Megaraptora is a group of enigmatic, carnivorous non‐avian theropod dinosaurs from the Cretaceous of Asia, Australia, and especially South America. Perhaps the most striking aspect of megaraptoran morphology is the large, robustly constructed forelimb that, in derived members of the clade, terminates in a greatly enlarged manus with hypertrophied,...

The forelimb of Patagonian alvarezsaurids is known from a partially complete appendicular element of Patagonykus puertai (MCF-PVPH-37, Museo Cármen Fúnes) and from an I-2 ungueal phalanx (currently lost) of Alvarezsaurus calvoi (MUCPv-54, Museo Universidad del Comahue). New material of A. calvoi from the Fm. Bajo de la Carpa was recently collected...

The main Cenomanian ichnological localities from Neuquén Province are situated around Ezequiel Ramos Mexía Lake. Here, we report a new ichnological locality in Aguada Pichana, 40 km NW from Añelo city. Aguada Pichana represents an important paleontological area with outcrops of the Candeleros Formation (Cenomanian, Upper Cretaceous, Neuquén Group)....

The deposits corresponding to the Upper Cretaceous Neuquén and San Jorge Gulf basins from northern and central Patagonia have provided two of the most complete sequences of terrestrial vertebrate faunas of all Gondwanan landmasses. Among the carnivorous components, the carcharodontosaurid theropods appeared as common elements during the Early Creta...

The fossil record of carcharodontosaurid theropods is frequent in the “middle” Cretaceous of the Neuquén Basin, with three taxa described to date: Giganotosaurus carolinii Coria and Salgado from the Candeleros Formation and Mapusaurus roseae Coria and Currie, and Taurovenator violantei Motta et al. from the overlying Huincul Formation. Additionally...

Abelisaurid theropods were the most diverse and abundant medium-sized to large-bodied carnivorous dinosaurs in many Gondwanan and European paleoecosystems during the Late Cretaceous, frequently occupying the apex predator niche in these environments. Although several derived abelisaurids (e.g., the Patagonian brachyrostrans Ekrixinatosaurus novasi,...

Documenting the paleontological process includes data produced by different techniques and protocols, which are used by paleontologists to prospect and eventually find a new fossil. Nowadays, together with the aforementioned data, a great amount of information is also available in terms of georeferenced systems, including contextual as well as desc...

Megaraptorid neuroanatomy has been studied in a single species with known braincase: Murusraptor barrosaensis Coria and Currie from the Upper Cretaceous of Patagonia. Here, we report the brain and inner ear of a juvenile specimen (MUCPV 595) of Megaraptor namunhuaiquii Novas, which were reconstructed using a microCT scan. The preserved braincase is...

We describe Tratayenia rosalesi gen. et sp. nov., a new megaraptoran theropod dinosaur from the Upper Cretaceous of Patagonia, Argentina. The holotype consists of a well-preserved, mostly articulated series of dorsal and sacral vertebrae, two partial dorsal ribs, much of the right ilium, and pubis and ischium fragments. It was found in a horizon of...

Megaraptorids are a group of predatory dinosaurs that inhabited Gondwana from Cenomanian to Santonian times (Late Cretaceous). Phylogenetic relationships of megaraptorids have been matter of recent debate, being alternatively interpreted as basal coelurosaurs, carcharodontosaurian allosauroids, megalosauroids, and basal tyrannosauroids. One of the...

Patagonia has yielded the most comprehensive fossil record of Cretaceous theropods from Gondwana, consisting of 31 nominal species belonging to singleton taxa and six families: Abelisauridae, Noasauridae, Carcharodontosauridae, Megaraptoridae nov. fam., Alvarezsauridae, and Unenlagiidae. They provide anatomical information that allows improved inte...

Most titanosaur dinosaurs are represented by incomplete skeletal elements lacking articulated pes. An exceptionally preserved specimen from the Late Campanian–Early Maastrichtian strata of Patagonia (Argentina) provides new data on pedal morphology and the evolutionary trends of these huge dinosaurs. This finding is one of the few articulated titan...

Here we report on a new small deinonychosaurian theropod, Pamparaptor micros gen. et sp. nov., from the Late Cretaceous of Patagônia, Argentina. Pamparaptor micros exhibits a pedal structure previously unknown among South Américan deinonychosaurians. The new material provides new evidence about the morphology and taxonomic diversity of Patagônian d...

RESUMEN Se describe un nuevo saurópodo titanosauridae, Panamericansaurus schroederi de la Formación Allen, provincia del Neuquén. El holotipò fue hallado en rocas del Campaniano inferior-Maastrichtiano del NW de Patagonia. Este nuevo taxon esta fuertemente ubicado dentro de los titanosáuridos Sudamericanos Aeolosaurini. Dentro de los Aeolosaurinos...

The first evidence of a crocodyform on the Futalognko quarry (Neuquén, Argentina) is presented. The Portezuelo Formation has given in this site an extraordinary fossil record. The more impressive materials correspond to sauropod, theropod and ornithopod dinosaurs. However; it is also important the evidence of turtles, pterosaurus, crocodiles, fish...

Fossils of a predatory dinosaur provide novel information about the evolution of unenlagiines, a poorly known group of dromaeosaurid theropods from Gondwana. The new dinosaur is the largest dromaeosaurid yet discovered in the Southern Hemisphere and depicts bizarre cranial and postcranial features. Its long and low snout bears numerous, small-sized...

Titanosaurs are among the largest dinosaurs known to date. Here we describe the anatomy of Futalognkosaurus dukei, the most complete giant sauropod ever found. It comes from outcrops of the Portezuelo Formation at the Barreales lake, some 90 km northwest of Neuquén city (Patagonia). The specimen consists of a complete neck, dorsal vertebrae with ri...

A unique site at the northern area of Patagonia (Neuquén, Argentina) reveals a terrestrial ecosystem preserved in a detail never reported before in a Late Cretaceous deposit. An extraordinary diversity and abundance of fossils was found concentrated in a 0.5 m horizon in the same quarry, including a new titanosaur sauropod, Futalognkosaurus dukei n...

Neuquén, Argentina. Los mate-riales asociados corresponden al dromaeosauridae Unenlagia comahuensis Novas & Puerta, 1997, Neuquenraptor argentinus Novas & Pol, 2005. Entre los materiales hallados de Megaraptor se destaca una gran falange ungueal asignada al dedo II del pie. Por otro lado, en el yacimiento Futalognko (Fig. 1), donde se encuentra el...

The discovery of Muyelensaurus pecheni gen. et sp.nov., a new slender titanosaurid, is relevant from anatomical and systematic viewpoints. The specimens come from the Upper Cretaceous strata of the Portezuelo Formation (Turonian-Early Coniacian) at Loma del Lindero, Rincón de los Sauces area, Neuquén Province, Argentina. The remains include a brain...

The Futalognko quarry, located 90km northwest of Neuquén city, Argentina, has yielded several fossil vertebrates. All come from the upper part of the Portezuelo Formation (Turonian-Early Coniacian) and include some pterosaur remains, the first ones from the Cretaceous strata of the Neuquén Group. The material consists of a proximal end of a large u...

Megaraptor is a giant theropod included as a possible Coelurosauria. Its big claw was originally assigned to the digit II of the pes. In the last year, the discovery of complete manus bones of a Megaraptor allowed the knowledge of new morphological characters and, therefore, new interpretations on phylogenetic relationships. As a result, Megaraptor...

A new specimen of Megaraptor namunhuaiquii was discovered on the north coast of the Barreales lake, Neuquén, Argentina. The material comes from the Portezuelo Formation (Upper Turonian-Lower Coniacian) of the Neuquén Group. The new specimen includes an anterior cervical vertebra, scapula, coracoids, ulna, radius, a complete hand, pubis, two caudal...

The "Futalognko" site, situated at the margins of the Los Barreales lake about 90 km northwest of Neuquén city (Patagonia), revealed several new dinosaur specimens, all from the Portezuelo Formation (Turonian-Early Coniacian). Among those are the remains of new theropod dinosaur referable to a new species of the maniraptoran Unenlagia, Unenlagia pa...

3 ABSTRACT: The "Futalognko" site, situated at the margins of the Los Barreales lake about 90 km northwest of Neuquén city (Patagonia), revealed several new dinosaur specimens, all from the Portezuelo Formation (Turonian-Early Coniacian). Among those are the remains of new theropod dinosaur referable to a new species of the maniraptoran Unenlagia,...

L as masas continentales han ido cambiando de posición a lo largo de la historia de la Tierra, alterando sus formas y las formas de vida que sobre ellas existieron. Entre los animales que habitaron exitosamente durante la era mesozoica nuestro planeta, se encuentran los dinosaurios. Richard Owen, quien fuera uno de sus primeros descubridores, en 18...