Unenlagiinae

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Unenlagiines
Temporal range: Late Cretaceous
Unenlagiines stratigraphy and skeletal reconstructions.png
Skeletal reconstructions of several unenlagiines, arranged by stratigraphic position
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Clade: Dinosauria
Clade: Saurischia
Clade: Theropoda
Clade: Paraves
Subfamily: Unenlagiinae
Bonaparte, 1999
Type species
Unenlagia comahuensis
Novas & Puerta, 1997
Genera

Unenlagiinae is a subfamily of long-snouted paravian theropods. They are traditionally considered to be members of Dromaeosauridae, though some authors place them into their own family, Unenlagiidae, sometimes alongside the subfamily Halszkaraptorinae.

Contents

Definitive members are known from the Late Cretaceous of South America, [4] though some researchers include taxa from other continents within this subfamily based on phylogenetic analyses. [5] Two probable unenlagiine specimens (NMV P257601, NMV P180889) from the upper Strzelecki Group (Aptian) and Eumeralla Formation (lower Albian) of Australia might potentially extend their known fossil range to the Early Cretaceous, and Kakuru, which is considered a maniraptoran, might be an unenlagiine as well. [6] [7] Imperobator from the Late Cretaceous of Antarctica, previously considered enigmatic, has also been recently interpreted as an unenlagiine. [8]

Description

Life restoration of Austroraptor Austroraptor Restoration.png
Life restoration of Austroraptor

Most unenlagiines have been discovered in Argentina. The largest was Austroraptor , which measured up to 5–6 m (16.4–19.7 ft) in length, making it also one of the largest dromaeosaurids. [9] The subfamily is distinguished from other dromaeosaurids by a tail stiffened by lengthy chevrons and superior processes, a reduced second pedal ungual, a posteriorly oriented pubis and very elongated snouts. Unenlagiines also had elongated, slender hindlimbs with a subarctometatarsalian metatarsus, which is characterized by the pinched metatarsal III at the upper end. Their distinct anatomy from Laurasian dromaeosaurids was likely a consequence of the breakup of Pangaea into Gondwana and Laurasia, where the geological isolation of unenlagiines from their relatives resulted in allopatric speciation. [4] [10]

Illustrated humeri of several unenlagiines Unenlagiine humeri comparison.png
Illustrated humeri of several unenlagiines

Classification

During the description of Halszkaraptor in 2017, Cau et al. published a phylogenetic analysis of the Dromaeosauridae, in which, members of the Unenlagiinae are classified as: [11]

Unenlagiinae

In 2019, during the description of Hesperornithoides , many Paravian groups were examined for the inclusion of this new genus, including the Unenlagiinae. The analysis ended in the inclusion of Rahonavis , Pyroraptor and Dakotaraptor to the Unenlagiinae. [12]

Unenlagiinae

In 2025, Motta et al. recovered Unenlagiidae (along with Halszkaraptoridae, Anchiornithidae, and Archaeopteryx ) as within Avialae. [13] The two trees recovered are reproduced below:

Paleobiology

Metatarsus of Buitreraptor Buitreraptor metatarsus (MPCA 238).png
Metatarsus of Buitreraptor

A study performed by Gianechini and colleagues in 2020 indicates that unenlagiine dromaeosaurids of Gondwana possessed different hunting specializations than the eudromaeosaurs from Laurasia. The shorter second phalanx in the second digit of the foot of eudromaeosaurs allowed for increased force to be generated by that digit, which, combined with a shorter and wider metatarsus, and a noticeable marked hinge‐like morphology of the articular surfaces of metatarsals and phalanges, possibly allowed eudromaeosaurs to exert a greater gripping strength than unenlagiines, allowing for more efficient subduing and killing of large prey. In comparison, the unenlagiine dromaeosaurids possess a longer and slender subarctometatarsus, and less well‐marked hinge joints, a trait that possibly gave them greater cursorial capacities and allowed for greater speed than eudromaeosaurs. Additionally, the longer second phalanx of the second digit allowed unenlagiines fast movements of their feet's second digits to hunt smaller, faster types of prey. These differences in locomotor and predatory specializations may have been a key feature that influenced the evolutionary paths that shaped both groups of dromaeosaurs in the northern and southern hemispheres, respectively. [10]

See also

References

  1. Foth, Christian; van de Kamp, Thomas; Tischlinger, Helmut; Kantelis, Theron; Carney, Ryan M.; Zuber, Marcus; Hamann, Elias; Wallaard, Jonathan J. W.; Lenz, Norbert; Rauhut, Oliver W. M.; Frey, Eberhard (3 January 2025). "A new Archaeopteryx from the lower Tithonian Mörnsheim Formation at Mühlheim (Late Jurassic)". Fossil Record. 28 (1): 17–43. Bibcode:2025FossR..28...17F. doi: 10.3897/fr.28.e131671 .
  2. 1 2 Porfiri, Juan D.; Baiano, Mattia A.; dos Santos, Domenica D.; Gianechini, Federico A.; Pittman, Michael; Lamanna, Matthew C. (2024-06-14). "Diuqin lechiguanae gen. et sp. nov., a new unenlagiine (Theropoda: Paraves) from the Bajo de la Carpa Formation (Neuquén Group, Upper Cretaceous) of Neuquén Province, Patagonia, Argentina". BMC Ecology and Evolution. 24 (1): 77. Bibcode:2024BMCEE..24...77P. doi: 10.1186/s12862-024-02247-w . ISSN   2730-7182. PMC   11177497 . PMID   38872101.
  3. Lee, Sungjin; Lee, Yuong-Nam; Currie, Philip J.; Sissons, Robin; Park, Jin-Young; Kim, Su-Hwan; Barsbold, Rinchen; Tsogtbaatar, Khishigjav (2022). "A non-avian dinosaur with a streamlined body exhibits potential adaptations for swimming". Communications Biology. 5 (1): 1185. doi: 10.1038/s42003-022-04119-9 . ISSN   2399-3642. PMC   9715538 . PMID   36456823.
  4. 1 2 Gianechini, F. A.; Apesteguia, S. (2011). "Unenlagiinae revisited: dromaeosaurid theropods from South America". Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciências. 83 (1): 163−195. doi: 10.1590/s0001-37652011000100009 . hdl: 11336/191999 . PMID   21437380.
  5. Hartman, Scott; Mortimer, Mickey; Wahl, William R.; Lomax, Dean R.; Lippincott, Jessica; Lovelace, David M. (2019-07-10). "A new paravian dinosaur from the Late Jurassic of North America supports a late acquisition of avian flight". PeerJ. 7: e7247. doi: 10.7717/peerj.7247 . ISSN   2167-8359. PMC   6626525 . PMID   31333906.
  6. Benson, Roger B. J.; Rich, Thomas H.; Vickers-Rich, Patricia; Hall, Mike (2012-05-16). "Theropod Fauna from Southern Australia Indicates High Polar Diversity and Climate-Driven Dinosaur Provinciality". PLOS ONE. 7 (5): e37122. Bibcode:2012PLoSO...737122B. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0037122 . ISSN   1932-6203. PMC   3353904 . PMID   22615916.
  7. Kotevski, J.; Duncan, R.J.; Ziegler, T.; Bevitt, J.J.; Vickers-Rich, P.; Rich, T.H.; Evans, A.R.; Poropat, S.F. (2025). "Evolutionary and paleobiogeographic implications of new carcharodontosaurian, megaraptorid, and unenlagiine theropod remains from the upper Lower Cretaceous of Victoria, southeast Australia". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 44 (4). e2441903. doi:10.1080/02724634.2024.2441903.
  8. Motta, M. J.; Agnolín, F. L.; Brissón Egli, F.; Novas, F. E. (2025). "Unenlagiid affinities for Imperobator antarcticus (Paraves: Theropoda): paleobiogeographical implications". Ameghiniana. 62 (1): 69–79. doi:10.5710/AMGH.13.11.2024.3604.
  9. Novas, F. E.; Pol, D.; Canale, J. I.; Porfiri, J. D.; Calvo, J. O. (2008). "A bizarre Cretaceous theropod dinosaur from Patagonia and the evolution of Gondwanan dromaeosaurids". Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 276 (1659): 1101−1107. doi: 10.1098/rspb.2008.1554 . ISSN   1471-2954. PMC   2679073 . PMID   19129109.
  10. 1 2 Gianechini, F. A.; Ercoli, M. D.; Díaz-Martinez, I. (2020). "Differential locomotor and predatory strategies of Gondwanan and derived Laurasian dromaeosaurids (Dinosauria, Theropoda, Paraves): Inferences from morphometric and comparative anatomical studies". Journal of Anatomy. 236 (5): 772−797. doi:10.1111/joa.13153. PMC   7163733 . PMID   32023660.
  11. Cau, A.; Beyrand, V.; Voeten, D. F. A. E.; Fernandez, V.; Tafforeau, P.; Stein, K.; Barsbold, R.; Tsogtbaatar, K.; Currie, P. J.; Godefroit, P. (2017). "Synchrotron scanning reveals amphibious ecomorphology in a new clade of bird-like dinosaurs". Nature. 552 (7685): 395−399. Bibcode:2017Natur.552..395C. doi:10.1038/nature24679. PMID   29211712. S2CID   4471941.
  12. Hartman, S.; Mortimer, M.; Wahl, W. R.; Lomax, D. R.; Lippincott, J.; Lovelace, D. M. (2019). "A new paravian dinosaur from the Late Jurassic of North America supports a late acquisition of avian flight". PeerJ. 7: e7247. doi: 10.7717/peerj.7247 . PMC   6626525 . PMID   31333906.
  13. Motta, Matías J.; Agnolína, Federico L.; Eglia, Federico Brissón; Rozadillaa, Sebastián; Novas, Fernando E. (22 Aug 2025). "Phylogenetic relationships of Unenlagiidae among Paraves (Dinosauria)". Journal of Systematic Palaeontology. 23 (1). doi:10.1080/14772019.2025.2529608 . Retrieved 22 August 2025.